Mauritania: Four newspaper editors sued for libel

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IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ACTION ALERT - MAURITANIA

6 April 2004

Four newspaper editors sued for libel

SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek

**MISA and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), as a joint activity,
will henceforth issue alerts, statements and appeals to highlight media
freedom and wider human rights violations in West Africa. See www.misa.org
and www.mediafoundationwa.org for more information**

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA-MFWA alert:

The editors of four independent weekly newspapers, "L'Eveil Hebdo",
"L'Authentique", "Le Journal" and "Al Moujtamaa", have been sued for
allegedly libelling Bodiel Ould Houmeid, a leading member of the ruling
Socialist Democratic Republican Party (PRDS) and a close associate of
President Maaouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya.

According to MFWA-Mauritania's sources, the editors were first brought
before the state prosecutor in the capital, Nouakchott, on 31 March 2004.
After they had waited for over two hours, they were sent away and told to
appear in court on 1 April.

The four newspapers had published articles alleging that Ould Houmeid was
involved in the embezzlement of public funds between January 2002 and July
2003, when he was finance minister.

In Mauritania, defamation is punishable under Sections 25, 26 and 27 of
Order No. 91-023 of the 25 July 1991 Law on Press Freedom. Section 27 of the
law stipulates that "defamation committed against individuals (. . .) shall
be punishable by a prison term of between five days and six months or a fine
of between 80,000 and 400,000 Ouguiyas [approx. US$300 to $1,500], or both".

MISA and the MFWA are concerned that the justice system and political
establishment in Mauritania tend to criminalise free speech and freedom of
expression, and that a conviction in this case could result in prison
sentences for the four journalists.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to authorities:
- urging them to immediately repeal the 1991 law on the media, which has
been invoked to censor the press, detain journalists and generally undermine
freedom of expression in the country

APPEALS TO:

Monsieur Maaouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
Président de la République Islamique de Mauritanie
[President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania]
B.P. 184 Nouakchott
Mauritanie
Fax: +222 525 2636

Monsieur Kaba Ould Elewa
Ministre de l'Intérieur, des Postes et Télécommunications
[Minister of the Interior, Post and Telecommunications]
B.P. 195 Nouakchott
Mauritanie
Fax: +222 525 3661

Monsieur Diabira Bakari
Ministre de la Justice
[Minister of Justice]
B.P. 350 Nouakchott
Mauritanie
Fax: +222 525 7002

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact Zoe Titus, Program Coordinator, Media
Freedom Monitoring, MISA, Street Address: 21 Johann Albrecht Street, Mailing
Address; Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232 975, fax:
+264 61 248 016, e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.misa.org,
or Kwame Karikari, Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa, P.
O. Box LG 730, Legon, Ghana, tel/fax: +231 21 22 10 84, e-mail:
[email protected], Internet: http://www.mediafoundationwa.org

The information contained in this action alert is the sole responsibility of
MISA. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
MISA.
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