Ivory Coast: Journalist sentenced to six months in prison for defamation
On 31 March 2004, Gaston Bony, publication director of the weekly "Le Venin" ("Venom"), was sentenced to six months in prison with no parole and jailed at the Agboville prison, in a suburb of Abidjan. Bony's imprisonment came despite assurances by the authorities, including President Laurent Gbagbo, that no journalist in the country would ever be jailed again.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - CÔTE D'IVOIRE
8 April 2004
Journalist sentenced to six months in prison for defamation
SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris
(RSF/IFEX) - On 31 March 2004, Gaston Bony, publication director of the
weekly "Le Venin" ("Venom"), was sentenced to six months in prison with no
parole and jailed at the Agboville prison, in a suburb of Abidjan. Bony's
imprisonment came despite assurances by the authorities, including President
Laurent Gbagbo, that no journalist in the country would ever be jailed
again.
RSF expressed surprise over Bony's sentencing and urged the authorities to
take all necessary measures to ensure that the journalist is released
without delay. "Nothing can justify the jailing of a journalist who is
charged with defamation. This measure is exceptionally repressive and runs
contrary to international recommendations. The Ivoirian government knows
this very well," the organisation said in a statement. "We have held
meetings with officials several times, notably with the president and the
prime minister, and all of them gave assurances that journalists would no
longer be jailed in Côte D'ivoire for expressing opinions. We expect an
explanation from the authorities," RSF added.
Bony, the publication director of "Le Venin" and principal host of La voix
de l'Agnéby (The Voice of Agnéby), a local radio station, has been held at
the Agboville prison since 31 March. He was sentenced to six months in
prison with no parole and fined 500,000 CFA francs (approx. US$920; 760
euros) for defamation. He was charged after the publication of an article
entitled, "Agboville Mayor Tetchi Chiedou Claude misappropriates three
million [CFA francs] from radio station's grant in order to pay for the
occult services of a friend". According to certain witnesses, the journalist
was unable to corroborate the story in court. Others said he refused to
reveal his sources.
It is the first time a journalist has been sentenced to prison with no
parole and jailed since Gbagbo became president in 2000.
For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard 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: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.org
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of RSF.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
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