**Updates IFEX alerts of 7 and 1 December, 9 July, 7 May and 18 January 1999, 22, 16 and 15 December 1998** (ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 16 December 1999 ARTICLE 19 press release: BURKINA FASO: Human rights defenders face gross injustice Seven human rights defenders face up to five years in prison […]
**Updates IFEX alerts of 7 and 1 December, 9 July, 7 May and 18 January 1999, 22, 16 and 15 December 1998**
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 16 December 1999 ARTICLE 19 press release:
BURKINA FASO: Human rights defenders face gross injustice
Seven human rights defenders face up to five years in prison in Burkina Faso after being charged with undermining army morale in connection with a Declaration published at the end of November.
The Declaration called for government forces to respect the human rights of those continuing the widespread campaign against impunity, particularly during a commemorative march planned for 13 December.
The march, of 50,000 people, held on 13 December to protest the murder of renowned journalist and campaigner against impunity Norbert Zongo and three others, went off peacefully. There is national outrage at the government’s failure to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths, who were alleged by an independent commission of inquiry to include government security officials.
Andrew Puddephatt, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19 says:
“This is a blatant travesty of justice. Norbert Zongo’s killers continue to walk free apparently with the government’s blessing. Yet those who demand justice and an end to impunity are brought before the courts. This looks like a cover-up.”
Five of the seven facing charges are members of the Collective of grassroots democratic organisations and opposition parties, a leading civil society organisation. The others are journalists who published the Declaration. The trial is set for 27 December 1999. A team of top defence lawyers from the region, headed by a Malian lawyer, is working together to defend the rights of these human rights activists.
Andrew Puddephatt added:
“The Burkinabé government should get its priorities right. It should drop these charges immediately and stop targeting key members of civil society who have done nothing more than exercise their fundamental right to freedom of expression. And it must break the cycle of impunity, not least by bringing Zongo’s killers to justice.”