(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ urgently requested additional information from President Kabbah about the reasons for the deportation order served on the morning of 3 September 1999 on Emmanuel Sanossi, the editor of “The Reporter newspaper” in Freetown and a national of Cameroon. **Updates IFEX alert of 3 September 1999** In a telephone conversation with CPJ, Deputy […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ urgently requested additional information from President
Kabbah about the reasons for the deportation order served on the morning of
3 September 1999 on Emmanuel Sanossi, the editor of “The Reporter newspaper”
in Freetown and a national of Cameroon.
**Updates IFEX alert of 3 September 1999**
In a telephone conversation with CPJ, Deputy Inspector General of Police
Kandeh Bangura confirmed that Sanossi, who has been in detention at the
central police station in Freetown since Thursday 26 August, “will be flown
out of the country as soon as the modalities are in place.”
On Wednesday 25 August, two plain clothes officers of the Criminal
Investigation Department (CID) Special Branch “invited” Sanossi to report at
the headquarters of the CID. Sanossi was apparently questioned about his
residential status in Sierra Leone and about the registration of his
newspaper.
This interrogation happened one day after “The Reporter” ran a story titled
“Kabbah Imports Arms and Ammunition,” alleging that the government planned
to derail the Sierra Leone peace process. On the same day, Justice Minister
Solomon Berewa held a press conference in which he warned that punitive
measures would be taken against any journalist who tried to embarrass the
government. He referred specifically to “The Reporter”, among other
publications.
Although CID Special Branch released Sanossi several hours later, he was
asked to report again the next day, 25 August. It was then, according to
Inspector Bangura, that Sanossi was “arrested for contravening provisions of
the Act relating to the publication of newspapers.” Inspector Bangura added
that Sanossi was residing in Sierra Leone without the necessary immigration
papers.
Yet Sanossi has been living in Sierra Leone for about five years without
ever being questioned about his residential status. According to local
journalists interviewed by CPJ, the newspaper had followed all the proper
registration procedures, and submitted all required documents to the
authorities.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
purely
from his work as a journalist
of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 of
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 9 of
the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights
to
the aforementioned agreements
Appeals To
President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Presidential Lodge
Hill Station, Freetown
Sierra Leone
Fax: +232 22 232 404
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
