Burkina Faso: Harsh prison terms undermine freedom of expression

Johannesburg, 29 November 2012: Global civil society network, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Réseau des Organisations de la Société Civile pour le Développement (RESOCIDE), Burkina Faso, denounce the crackdown on freedom of expression in Burkina Faso.

Two senior journalists have been handed disproportionate sentences for “defamation” and their newspaper has been ordered to suspend its circulation for six months by the Ouagadougou High Court.

On 29 October 2012, Roland Ouédraogo, editor-in-chief of L'Ouragan newspaper and contributing editor Lohé Issa Konaté were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for defamation and ordered to pay a fine of 1.5 million CFA francs (US $2,900) as well as compensation of 4 million CFA francs (US $7,800) to the complainant. The two journalists are currently imprisoned in Maison d'arrêt et de Correction de Ouagadougou (MACO) prison in the capital, Ouagadougou.

The charges stem from articles published on 1 August and 8 August 2012 in L'Ouragan newspaper claiming that state prosecutor Mr. Placide Nikiéma had obstructed justice by unlawfully interceding in a case of alleged currency counterfeiting. Mr. Nikiéma denied the claims, submitting a legal complaint to the High Court asserting that L'Ouragan had defamed his reputation. The High Court ruled in favour of Mr. Nikiém, concluding that the defendants were guilty of defamation and contempt of court through the press.

The convictions, which occurred in the run-up to the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2 December, raise serious concerns about Burkina Faso’s democratic trajectory and the administrations commitment to allowing the free exercise of democratic freedoms. Self-censorship by independent journalists and media outlets on sensitive topics remains rife in Burkina Faso for fear of official persecution and censure. The state run media remains under tight government control.

CIVICUS and RESOCIDE call on the Government of Burkina Faso to take necessary steps to guarantee freedom of expression in the country, including initiating a review of the cases against Roland Ouédraogo and Lohé Issa Konaté and the suspension of L'Ouragan newspaper.
For more information please contact:

Tor Hodenfield ( [email][email protected]), Policy and Advocacy Officer, CIVICUS or Kiva LaTouché ([email protected]) Communications Officer, CIVICUS