The six journalists still face charges of "undermining state security and inciting soldiers to acts of insubordination and rebellion."
This statement was originally published on mfwa.org on 15 February 2017.
Six journalists detained on February 12, 2017 for reporting on a recent mutiny by Ivoirian soldiers, have been released.
Coulibaly Vamara and Hamadou Ziao of Inter newspaper; Bamba Franck Mamadou of Notre Voie; Gbané Yacouba and Ferdinand Bailly of Le Temps and Jean Bédel Gnago of Soir Info regained provisional freedom on February 14, after spending 48 hours in detention.
Announcing the journalists’ release to the Agence Frace Presse (AFP), Guillaume Gbato, a leading member of le Syndicat de la presse privée en Côte d’Ivoire, the umbrella organisation of the private press in the country, said the six journalists, are however still under “charges of undermining state security and inciting soldiers to acts of insubordination and rebellion.” He added that “there is some relief, but we are calling for all the charges pressed against our colleagues to be dropped.”
Many media organisations, both national and international, protested against the arrests which they consider as a blatant attack on media freedom.
The MFWA welcomes the release of the six journalists and urge the authorities to discontinue their prosecution.
