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Niger: Journalist Arrested And Charged With Defamation
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Media Foundation for West Africa (Accra)
PRESS RELEASE
29 February 2008
Posted to the web 3 March 2008
Gourouza Aboubacar, Managing Editor of L'Eveil Plus, a bi-weekly independent newspaper based in Niamey was on February 26, 2008, arrested and detained by the police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for an alleged defamation.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)'s correspondent reported that this followed a complaint for defamation lodged on February 22, by Moussa Keita, politician and former activist in the National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara (MNSD-Nassara). The State Prosecutor also lodged a contempt charge against the journalist on the same day.
On February 28, 2008, Aboubacar appeared before the State Attorney at the Special Magistrates Court in Niamey, but his trial was adjourned to March 3, 2008, following an application filed by the defence.
On January 29, 2008, L'Eviel Plus published two articles entitled "the Plot and Plotters Unmasked" and "The Issue of Niamey Urban Community (CUN): Another Plot against the MNDS" which led to the complaints.
The first article accused Keita of "orchestrating" a major "conspiracy" to secure charges against former Prime Minister, Hama Amadou. The second criticized the detention of the president of the CUN, Aboubacar Seydou Ganda, who according to the article is held "without any evidence of the truth of the charges against him". The journalist said "this case is not judicial but political".
The MFWA is concerned about repeated arrests and detention of journalists in Niger. We consider these arrests as a clear manifestation of intolerance of alternative views in Niger.
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MFWA appeals to the authorities to effect the immediate release of all journalists in custody, until "criminal" guilt is determined in a fair trial.
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