Media Foundation for West Africa (Accra)
8 February 2008
press release
Ibrahim Manzo Diallo, managing editor of Air Info, a bi-monthly newspaper was on February 6, 2008 granted bail by an Appeal court in Zinder, Niger’s second largest city , after one hundred and twenty one days in detention for allegedly conspiring with a movement to undermine national security.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)‘s correspondent reported that the Court's decision followed a request filed by Diallo’s counsel, Moussa Coulibaly, seeking his release, because the prosecution had failed to provide evidence, to warrant his continued stay in prison.
Following a complaint filed by the Nigerien authorities, Diallo was arrested on October 9, 2007 at his home in the northern town of Ingall. He was sent to the Agadez Civil Prison where he was detained. He has since been charged with “Criminal Conspiracy”.
In early 2007, a Tuareg armed group, Mouvement des Nigériens pour la Justice “MNJ” (the Niger Movement for Justice) launched a rebellion in the country. The government outlawed the group and banned the media from covering its activities. Several journalists were arrested for flouting the government’s order.
With the release of Diallo, Moussa Kaka, a correspondent of Radio France International (RFI), remains the only journalist in Prison in Niger. Kaka was arrested on September 20, 2007 and held incommunicado for several days, before being charged with undermining national security. An Appeal Court in Niamey is expected to hear his case on February 12, 2008.
The Air Info newspaper was earlier suspended for three months and its annual subsidy frozen for covering the activities of the group. Three other newspapers were also warned severely for the same reasons and RFI’s FM broadcast in Niger was also suspended for a month.
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