Tactics and tools for the protection
of Human Rights Defenders
a project of Protection International
More on:
Niger
PI publications
Protection International Publications
PI publications Protection Manual PI catalogue of publications and DVDsOther online projects
Observatoire global de la politique publique nationale sur la protection des défenseurs de droits humains
Niger
Maman Abou, Oumarou Keita : Release
Wednesday 29 November 2006 by Reporters Without Borders
Publisher and editor of “Le Républicain” freed after appeal hearing, final verdict still pending
29 November 2006
(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders welcomes the release, at the end of their appeal hearing, of Maman Abou and Oumaru Keita, respectively publisher and editor of the privately-owned weekly “Le Républicain”.
“The release of our colleagues is good news for press freedom in Niger. We hope that this case is now definitely finished with and that the government of Niger will take the opportunity to finally reform the law, so that more harmonious relations can be established between the press and the authorities,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said.
The prosecutor at the 27 November 2006 appeal hearing considered that the 18-month jail sentence, five million CFA francs (7,600 euros) in damages and the 300,000 CFA francs (450 euros) fine for “spreading false news” and “defamation” was too harsh.
He called for 9 months in prison, six of them suspended, and since the two journalists had already served nearly four months in prison, they were released at the end of the hearing. The final verdict will be delivered on 11 December.
For further information, contact Léonard Vincent at RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail: africa rsf.org, Internet: http://www.rsf.org
Send
With the support of :
