(RSF/IFEX) – RSF demands the immediate release of two journalists from the weekly newspaper “Le Canard déchaîné” who have been detained at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters since 20 November 2002. The organisation recalls that the United Nations condemns imprisonment as a punishment for the peaceful expression of an opinion and notes that nothing can […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF demands the immediate release of two journalists from the weekly newspaper “Le Canard déchaîné” who have been detained at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters since 20 November 2002. The organisation recalls that the United Nations condemns imprisonment as a punishment for the peaceful expression of an opinion and notes that nothing can justify the imprisonment of the two men. “If the chief of staff of Niger’s army, who is behind these arrests, is unhappy with what was written in the newspaper, he can request a right of reply. But these journalists should never have been arrested,” stated RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard.
The press freedom situation continues to deteriorate in Niger. Since the beginning of 2002, a dozen media professionals have been arrested by the security forces. One journalist is currently serving an eight-month prison sentence.
According to information collected by RSF, on 20 November, Ibrahim Manzo and Cissé Omar Amadou, journalist and marketing director from “Le Canard déchaîné”, respectively, were arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters. The motive for their arrest appears to be the publication of an article entitled “Did the army’s chief of staff order the arrest of [key opposition figure] Mahamadou Issoufou?”
RSF recalls that Abdoulaye Tiémogo, publication director of “Le Canard déchaîné”, is currently serving an eight-month prison sentence for “libel and insult” (see IFEX alerts of 18 November, 4 July and 20 June 2002). The journalist was arrested on 18 June after Prime Minister Hama Amadou filed a complaint against him. The government leader was angered by the weekly newspaper’s publication of an article in which he was accused of attempting to bribe the National Assembly speaker in an effort to retain his post as prime minister.
