Niger: Editor gets six months
Mamane Abou, editor of the private weekly "Le Républicain", was sentenced to six months in prison on 7 November 2003, in the capital, Niamey. "This sentence is nonsense. This journalist was only doing his job and nothing can justify such a heavy sentence. Moreover, the court did not follow the normal legal procedure. Mamane Abou was sentenced in absentia, yet he is being held at Niamey prison," Reporters sans frontières (RSF)
said in a statement.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT UPDATE - NIGER
10 November 2003
Editor of weekly "Le Républicain" sentenced to six months in prison
SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris
**Updates IFEX alert of 6 November 2003**
(RSF/IFEX) - Mamane Abou, editor of the private weekly "Le Républicain", was
sentenced to six months in prison on 7 November 2003, in the capital,
Niamey.
"This sentence is nonsense. This journalists was only doing his job and
nothing can justify such a heavy sentence. Moreover, the court did not
follow the normal legal procedure. Mamane Abou was sentenced in absentia,
yet he is being held at Niamey prison," RSF said in a statement.
"The journalist's lawyers were not even informed of the decision against
their client. This has become a political matter. The authorities have
sentenced the journalist secretly, without informing anyone. Niger boasts
that it is a democracy and a country in which the rule of law is respected.
Yet this case represents a serious decline for free expression in the
country," RSF added.
According to RSF's information, Abou was sentenced in absentia to six months
in prison with no parole on 7 November. He was also fined 300,000 CFA francs
(approx. US$525) and was ordered to pay 10 million CFA francs (approx.
US$17,500) in damages and interest for "defamation". When contacted by RSF,
Oumarou Soulé, one of the journalist's lawyers, expressed shock that the
regular procedure was not followed during the trial. "We plan to appeal the
decision immediately," he said.
Abou has been detained at Niamey's civilian prison since 5 November. He is
accused of publishing confidential Finance Ministry documents indicating
that the finance minister had misappropriated funds.
For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard at RSF, rue Geoffroy
Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,
e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.org
The information contained in this alert update is the sole responsibility of
RSF. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
RSF.
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