Ivory Coast: 11 media unions protest against attacks on the press

A view of the city of Abidjan (illustration image). © Craig Pershouse / Getty Images

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In a press release, eleven press unions criticize the public prosecutor for abusing his power by prosecuting journalists, especially those from the press close to the opposition. And this after the sentencing of four daily newspapers to heavy fines.

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With our correspondent in Abidjan, Sidy Yansané

" Too much is too much!" This is the title of the letter from the inter-union of the media sector in Côte d'Ivoire addressed to the public prosecutor Richard Adou. Last Tuesday, the directors of publications of the daily newspapers Soir Info and Le Nouveau Réveil , were each fined 3,800 euros for " spreading false news ".

The incriminated news concern the deputy Alain Lobognon, close to Guillaume Soro, and imprisoned since last December within the framework of the warrant of arrest for attempt of attack to the security of the State targeting the ex-president of the National Assembly . In a press release published in the pages of the two condemned newspapers, the lawyers of the Soroïst deputy denounce the conditions of detention of their client.

A " certain press " attacked

Last week, three journalists from the daily newspapers Générations Nouvelles and Le Temps were also ordered to pay 7,600 euros each, after a previous prosecutor's self-report.

The deputy spokesman for the intersyndicale of the media sector, Sam Wakouboué, criticizes the magistrate for mainly attacking a " certain press, namely that close to the opposition ". He recalls that the press publishes press releases of all political stripes, and fears that the action of the prosecutor Richard Adou, who could not be reached by RFI, would financially impact the newspapers, already weakened by the coronavirus pandemic.

Read also: The Ivorian government announces a plan to support the economy of 2.5 billion euros

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  • Ivory Coast
  • Media
  • Human rights

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