(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Justice Mahmad Alhabo, RSF protested the charging of Oulatar Begoto Nicolas, director of “N’Djamena Hebdo”, and the jailing of Garonde Djarama. The two men are accused of defamation. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the minister “to do everything possible to facilitate Garonde Djarama’s release and see to […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Justice Mahmad Alhabo, RSF protested the charging of Oulatar Begoto Nicolas, director of “N’Djamena Hebdo”, and the jailing of Garonde Djarama. The two men are accused of defamation. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the minister “to do everything possible to facilitate Garonde Djarama’s release and see to it that the two men are not sentenced to jail terms.” RSF recalled that in a document published in January 2000, the United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression stated that “as a sentence for the peaceful expression of an opinion, imprisonment constitutes a serious violation of human rights.”
According to information collected by RSF, on 13 November, Oulatar Begoto Nicolas and Djarama were charged with “defamation” and Djarama was placed under a committal order. Oulatar Begoto Nicolas and Djarama will be tried on 20 November and each faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison. The government’s secretariat filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department against the two men following the 7 November publication of an article by Djarama in the “Opinions” section of “N’Djamena Hebdo”. Djarama is a retired high-level public servant. In his article, he criticised the N’Djamena authorities’ weak reaction following the racist attacks against Chadian nationals residing in Libya. Djarama was arrested on 9 November. The next day, Oulatar Begoto Nicolas was summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department and interrogated about Djarama’s article. He was released later that same evening.
