(RSF/IFEX) – According to Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Souley Onohiolo, a contributor to the tri-weekly “La Nouvelle Expression”, was sentenced on 8 June 1999 to four months in prison for “libel” by the court of Bafia (in the centre of Cameroon.) On 17 Februaury 1999, the journalist wrote an article describing an incident of exorcism […]
(RSF/IFEX) – According to Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Souley Onohiolo,
a contributor to the tri-weekly “La Nouvelle Expression”, was sentenced on 8
June 1999 to four months in prison for “libel” by the court of Bafia (in the
centre of Cameroon.) On 17 Februaury 1999, the journalist wrote an article
describing an incident of exorcism during which a “holy man” accused Adamou
Bako, the director of a transportation company, of using sorcery to enrich
himself. The businessman had lodged a complaint before the courts. Police
went to the journalist’s home to arrest him but he was not there. “La
Nouvelle Expression” was also sentenced to pay a fine of 83 million
Cameroonian francs (830 000 French francs) in damages.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Justice of Cameroon, RSF protested
the four-month prison sentence for “libel” handed down to Onohiolo. RSF
asked that “the journalist not be incarcerated so that he could continue to
exercise his right to inform in total freedom.” Robert Ménard, RSF
secretary-general, also recalled that “a prison sentence for a press
offence, in this case for ‘libel’, is considered by international human
rights authorities to be ‘disproportionate’ in relation to the damage
suffered by the victim. This explains why no democratic state today hands
out prison sentences in cases relating to the press.”
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the Minister of Justice:
Appeals To
Mr. Laurent Esso
Justice Minister
Ministry of Justice
Yaounde, Cameroon
Fax: +237 23 00 05
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
