(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Communications Minister Henri-César Damalan, RSF protested the attack by soldiers against five employees of the Olympe press group. “With a presidential election a few days away, it is your duty to guarantee the security of journalists and press professionals in your country,” stated Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. “The […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Communications Minister Henri-César Damalan, RSF protested the attack by soldiers against five employees of the Olympe press group. “With a presidential election a few days away, it is your duty to guarantee the security of journalists and press professionals in your country,” stated Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. “The press is going to play a considerable role in the next two weeks and it is unthinkable that soldiers can attack journalists with
total impunity,” added Ménard. The organisation noted that another journalist with the daily “Le Jour” was attacked by members of the presidential guard on 8 September 2000 (see IFEX alerts of 13 and 12 September 2000).
According to information obtained by RSF, Hyppolite Oulaï, the “L’Inter” daily’s secretary-general, as well as two technicians and two drivers with the Olympe press group, were beaten by soldiers on the night of 8 to 9 October in Abidjan. The five men were going home in a company vehicle – identified by a “press” badge – when they were stopped by soldiers. The soldiers asked them to lie down on the ground then beat them with kicks and belt blows. One of them stated: “Since you write that soldiers are
delinquents, we’ll show you.” The five men underwent medical tests and are on medical leave for several days. The Olympe press group includes the dailies “L’Inter” and “Soir Infos” as well as the sports magazine “Douze”.
RSF also recalled that on 8 September, Joachim Beugré, from the private daily “Le Jour”, was attacked by members of the presidential guard. The journalist was leaving a meeting with the president when soldiers detained him, then drove him to an open field and beat him with nightsticks. Beugré was hospitalised for several days. The day before, he had written an article titled “General Robert Guéï’s civil status: a few questions” that called into question the head of state’s parentage.
