Reporters Without Borders has expressed concern at the tough line that Niger’s authorities have begun taking with journalists, arresting four in Niamey in the past five days.
Zakari Adamou, the host of a talk show on privately-owned Canal 3 TV, and Ousmane Dan Badji, the editor of the newspaper L’Union, who was a guest on Adamou’s show, were summoned for questioning by the police yesterday afternoon and were still in police custody as this press release was being drafted today.
They were due to be taken before a prosecutor on charges of “media offences†and “defamatory statements†during a televised discussion on 14 January. A civil society representative who took part in the same discussion is also being held.
Their arrests follow those of two other journalists. One is Soumana Idrissa Maïga, the editor of the privately-owned daily L’Enquêteur, who was arrested on 23 January on charges of “plotting against state security†and “abetting wrongdoers†in connection with an article in his newspaper’s 17 January issue.
The other is Abdoulaye Maman, the host of a Hausa-language talk show, Gaskya, on Bonferey TV, who was arrested on 25 January on a “media offences†charge in connection with comments he made on the air.
The prosecutor’s office authorized their release yesterday, but their lawyers have yet to receive any notification that the charges against them have been fully dropped.
Reporters Without Borders calls on the authorities to drop all charges against the four journalists and to release the two still being held.
