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Previous Action Alerts 09/28/06 - Niger
September 28, 2006
Niger: A third journalist given prison sentence
The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN protests the sentencing of Salif Dago, a reporter for the bi-monthly private newspaper L’Enquêteur, to six months’ imprisonment on charges of “spreading false information”. After his arrest on 28 August, Dago was detained for four days before being summarily charged and transferred to prison.
Story Continued...
According to PEN’s information, the charge relates to a story published by L’Enquêteur on 14 August entitled “Black mass in Niamey cemetery”, which described the alleged killing of a baby by an unidentified man as part of a macabre ritual. Dago is reportedly appealing the sentence and his lawyer claimed that he has been fined 100,000 CFA francs and given a six-month suspended sentence in addition to the imprisonment.
Dago’s detention and sentencing follows that of the journalists Mamane Abou and Oumarou Keita, both of whom were sentenced on 1 September to 18 months in prison and a fine of 5 million CFA francs for “publishing false information” and “defaming the state of Niger”.
International PEN protests the sentencing of Salif Dago and calls for his immediate release. PEN calls on President Mamadou Tandja to act in accordance with the public commitment made during his 2004 presidential campaign by decriminalising press offences.
Please send appeals to the Niger authorities:
- Protesting the detention of Salif Dago for allegedly publishing false information.
- Calling upon the Niger authorities to release unconditionally Salif Dago and to decriminalise press offences in accordance with the public commitment made by President Mamadou Tandja during the 2004 presidential campaign.
Government addresses:
His Excellency Monsieur Mamadou Tandja
Président de la République
Présidence de la République
Palais de la République
Niamey
Niger
Fax: 00 227 20 73 34 30
Monsieur Hama Amadou
Premier ministre
Primature
Niamey
Niger
Fax: 00 227 20 73 36 85
If you would like to copy the Niger Ambassador to the U.S. his address follows:
Ambassador Joseph Diatta
Embassy of the Republic of Niger
1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, DC
20009