Niger: Journalist refused bail by the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Niger on May 15, 2008 endorsed the continued detention of Moussa Kaka, correspondent of Radio France International (RFI). Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that the decision followed the Supreme Court’s ruling that a tape recorded evidence against the journalist should be taken into consideration.

Kaka has been in detention since his arrest on September 20, 2007. He has been charged with “complicity in a plot against the authority of the State of Niger”, following a claim by the authorities that they had intercepted a telephone conversation between Kaka and Aghali Alambo, the leader of the Niger People’s Movement for Justice (MNJ), a movement that has waged an armed rebellion in north of the country.

On November 13, 2007 a Niamey magistrate court ruled that “the obtaining of the tapes containing the journalist’s conversations and their transcriptions are not acceptable in law and constitute a violation of the rights of the accused.” The state prosecutor appealed against this ruling. However, The Court of Appeal of Niamey on February 12, 2008, overturned the magistrate’s ruling. Moussa Kaka’s lawyers then took the matter to the Supreme Court.

This ruling means that Kaka will remain in prison till the final determination of the matter.

No new date has been fixed for the trial to continue.

Prof. Kwame Karikari
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233 21 24 24 70
Fax: 233 21 221084
Website : www.mediafound.org
Email : [email][email protected]