(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the state minister responsible for security, Quartermaster General Lassana Palenfo, RSF protested the placement in police custody of Yoro Koné and Khristian Kara, managing editor and journalist, respectively, with the private daily “Le Libéral”. Without commenting on the accusations brought forward by the daily against General Robert Guéï, RSF […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the state minister responsible for security, Quartermaster General Lassana Palenfo, RSF protested the placement in police custody of Yoro Koné and Khristian Kara, managing editor and journalist, respectively, with the private daily “Le Libéral”. Without commenting on the accusations brought forward by the daily against General Robert Guéï, RSF asked the minister to “do everything possible to secure the journalists’ immediate release”. According to RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard, “these arrests mark a new stage in the deteriorating press freedom situation in Côte d’Ivoire.”
According to information collected by RSF, on 2 August 2000, Koné and Kara were placed in police custody at the Abidjan police station. They were held for questioning by a police squad who interrogated them in the context of an inquiry for “slander” against General Guéï. The journalists’ placement in police custody follows the publication, that same day, of an article by Kara titled “Guéï personally signs a cheque for 850 million to finance his future election campaign”. The article follows the 7 July posting of information on the web site of Africa Intelligence, accusing General Guéï of personally managing funds whose exact origins are allegedly unknown. The police inquiry for “slander” was opened by request of General Guéï, but he has not filed a complaint to date. The two journalists were to be heard again by a police officer on 3 August, in the afternoon.
This marks the second time since the beginning of the year that journalists from “Le Libéral” have been harassed. The daily is close to the Rassemblement des Républicains party (RDR, led by Alassane Ouattara). On 6 July, Koné and Emmanuel Etien Tanoh, a photographer with “Le Libéral”, as well as the newspaper’s accountant, were detained by soldiers at the daily’s headquarters and taken to the Ministry of Communications’ offices. The three men were forced to do push-ups and were otherwise mistreated by the soldiers. They were then brought before the minister, who accused them of risking to “burn Côte d’Ivoire” through their actions. They were criticised for publishing an article titled “12,000 mutineers for 78 billion”, which made reference to the mutiny of soldiers who were demanding money from the junta in power. The three men were released some hours later (see IFEX alert of 7 July 2000).
