(WAN/IFEX) – In an 18 December 2000 letter to President Blaise Compaore, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed their serious concern at the police occupation of the Norbert Zongo National Press Centre. According to reports, on 13 December 2000, the Norbert Zongo National Press Centre, which was to host the International Press Freedom Festival […]
(WAN/IFEX) – In an 18 December 2000 letter to President Blaise Compaore, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed their serious concern at the police occupation of the
Norbert Zongo National Press Centre.
According to reports, on 13 December 2000, the Norbert Zongo National Press Centre, which was to host the International Press Freedom Festival from 12 to 16 December, was besieged by police at 6:00 a.m. (local time). They declared the building closed on the orders of national security services.
WAN and the World Editors Forum are greatly concerned by the government’s action to suppress an international event in which press freedom and the protection of journalists were to be discussed. The festival, which is organised jointly by the Media Foundation for West Africa, the Norbert Zongo National Press Centre and The Burkina Faso Movement for Human and People’s Rights, was being held to commemorate the murder in 1998 of journalist Norbert Zongo. A number of delegates from Africa and Europe travelled to Burkina Faso to attend this important conference.
Furthermore, on the morning of 12 December, authorities refused to grant delegates access to Sapouy, the town where Zongo was murdered, and a delegation of sixty African, European and American journalists and human right activists were denied access to Burkina Faso as they attempted to cross the border from Ghana.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
– reminding him that the closure of the Norbert Zongo National Press Centre and the harassment of delegates constitute a clear breach of the right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by his country’s constitution and by numerous international agreements, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 of which states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers”
– calling on him to immediately re-open the press centre, halt all harassment of festival participants and grant access to his country to all delegates
– urging him to do everything in his power to ensure that his country fully respects international standards of freedom of expression
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:His Excellency Blaise Compaore
President
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Fax: +226 31 49 26Please copy appeals to WAN.
