(RSF/IFEX) – On 13 August 2004, Patrick Adjamonsi, publication director of the daily “l’Aurore”, was arrested by police and jailed in Cotonou’s civilian prison. In June, Adjamonsi was sentenced to six months in prison with no parole for defamation, following a complaint filed by Dame Amoussou, a member of the High Authority for Audiovisual Communications […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 13 August 2004, Patrick Adjamonsi, publication director of the daily “l’Aurore”, was arrested by police and jailed in Cotonou’s civilian prison.
In June, Adjamonsi was sentenced to six months in prison with no parole for defamation, following a complaint filed by Dame Amoussou, a member of the High Authority for Audiovisual Communications (Haute autorité de l’audiovisuel et de la communication, HAAC, Benin’s official media regulator), after she was implicated in the misappropriation of government aid by an “Aurore” article. When Adjamonsi refused to publish her response to the allegations, she took the matter to court.
Adjamonsi did not respond to the court’s summonses nor was he represented by a lawyer at his trial. He was convicted of the charges in absentia.
