(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called on the government of Niger to immediately release Mamane Abou, editor of the weekly “Le Républicain”, who was arrested on 5 November 2003 and accused of “involvement in the theft and publication” of confidential Finance Ministry documents proving that the finance minister had embezzled several billion CFA francs (over US$1.7 […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called on the government of Niger to immediately release Mamane Abou, editor of the weekly “Le Républicain”, who was arrested on 5 November 2003 and accused of “involvement in the theft and publication” of confidential Finance Ministry documents proving that the finance minister had embezzled several billion CFA francs (over US$1.7 million; 1.5 million euros).
“We are appalled that the authorities are still targeting journalists as soon as they feel threatened,” said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. “Abou had the courage to criticise a minister’s corruption and he is unfortunately paying the price in this new intimidation bid by the authorities. Any journalist who criticises the country’s leaders is arrested and jailed for several days and sometimes weeks. We call on the authorities to stop harassing journalists.”
After the allegations appeared in the 15 July issue of “Le Républicain”, Abou was summoned to appear before a Niamey court on 7 November. However, the judge issued an arrest warrant on 5 November, claiming that Abou, who had just returned from a visit to France, was trying to avoid facing the court. Police officers and the judge arrested him at the newspaper’s offices.
