Djibril Diallo must report daily to the police until further notice.
(MFWA/IFEX) – Djibril Diallo, a writer and contributor to the Mauritanian news website http://www.taqadoumy.com, who was arrested and detained in police custody in Nouakchott for three days, was released on September 15, 2009 on police enquiry bail. Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that Diallo is to report daily to the police until further notice.
The police arrested Diallo at a cyber café on the night of September 11. Although there was no official explanation, his arrest was linked to an August 30 feature article posted on www.taqadoumy.com that criticized Libyan President Col. Muammar Gaddafi for his alleged involvement in various political crises in Africa, including the August 6, 2008 coup d’état that brought the ruling government to power in Mauritania.
With this development, Hanevy Ould Dehah, editor of www.taqadoumy.com, is now the only journalist still in jail for carrying out his legitimate duties. He is serving six months in prison for “offending public decency”. Before his conviction and imprisonment, Dehah was detained for over two months.
MFWA reiterates its call for the two journalists to be freed unconditionally.
