(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 29 October 1999 letter to President Henri Konan Bedie, CPJ expressed its grave concern over the continued deterioration of the press freedom situation in Côte d’Ivoire. **Updates IFEX alerts of 29 October 1999, 13 September, 27 August, 30 June, 10 June, 4 June and 2 June 1999** While CPJ welcomed the […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 29 October 1999 letter to President Henri Konan Bedie, CPJ
expressed its grave concern over the continued deterioration of the press
freedom situation in Côte d’Ivoire.
**Updates IFEX alerts of 29 October 1999, 13 September, 27 August, 30 June,
10 June, 4 June
and 2 June 1999**
While CPJ welcomed the 29 October release from prison of “Le Populaire”
publisher Raphael Lakpe, the organisation noted that threats and attacks
against opposition media have intensified alarmingly in recent weeks. In a
10 September letter to the president, CPJ expressed its deep concern that
the prolonged detention of Lakpe and “Le Populaire” editor Jean Khalil Sylla
(who remains in prison) would negatively affect press freedom in Côte
d’Ivoire.
On 20 October, the Court of First Instance of Abidjan indicted Lakpe and
Sylla on charges of distributing and disclosing false news, and sentenced
them to six months in prison. The arrest came in response to a 28 April
article by Sylla, who wrongly reported that police officers had killed a
student after meeting with resistance when they tried to break up a student
demonstration. Although “Le Populaire” ran a correction the next day, Sylla
is still being held at Abidjan’s Arrests and Corrections House.
Despite Lakpe’s release, the state-owned Edipresse, which is Côte d’Ivoire’s
only newspaper distributor, still declines to distribute “Le Populaire”. The
paper is thus effectively censored in Côte d’Ivoire.
CPJ is also concerned about other recent incidents that have contributed to
the climate of fear and intimidation in which Côte d’Ivoire’s independent
and opposition journalists now work. On 27 September, for example, Lama
Fofana, publisher of the newspaper “Libération”, was fired at while driving
to his newspaper’s offices in Yopougon, a suburb of Abidjan. “Libération” is
associated with the Rassemblement des Republicains (RDR) opposition party
(see IFEX alert of 29 September 1999). On the night of 25 October, unknown
persons looted the technical offices of “Libération”. The attackers stoned
the watchman to death, and then stole computer equipment belonging to the
newspaper (see IFEX alert of 26 October 1999).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
immediately
released and that “Le Populaire” is permitted to circulate freely in Côte
d’Ivoire
threats to silence independent journalists are brought to justice
of Côte d’Ivoire, journalists
must be assured that his government will respect their fundamental right to
work safely and without fear of censorship
Appeals To
President Henri Konan Bedie
La Presidence
Boulevard Clozel
Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Fax: +225 314 540
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
