Abdoulaye Tiémogo, editor of the independent Nigerien weekly Le Canard déchaîné, has been released from prison after his sentence was reduced on appeal, Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) has reported.
The journalist, who is in poor health, had been held in custody since August 1. He had been found guilty of “discrediting a judicial decision”.
Tiémogo told RSF after his release on October 26 that he was happy to be home. “I now hope to rest with my family and then I will see a doctor to get treatment for my malaria and stomach disorders. After that I will resume work at the newspaper."
He said prison conditions in Ouallam, south-western Niger were appalling. “There were almost 20 of us in cells designed for four or five people”.
Referring to his hounding at the hands of the authorities, the journalist said, “I have been arrested five times since 2000. In 2003, I was given an eight-month sentence and this year I had to seek refuge in Mali for seven months. This latest arrest was very unpleasant and all the more so since the charge against me was baseless.”
“We have said from day one that the conviction and imprisonment of Abdoulaye Tiémogo then his transfer from hospital in Niamey to Ouallam jail were unfair and shocking," RSF said. “We are naturally relieved that he has been released but we believe this decision could have been made much sooner,” it added.
The Niamey appeal court on October 26 reduced Tiémogo’s sentence from three to two months although it upheld his conviction. Since he had already served 86 days in prison, he was released on the same day and was back home by the evening.
