The situation is worrying in Chad where Olivier Monodji, RFI correspondent, and three other people have been charged with charges such as “intelligence with a foreign power”, “atteinte à la sécurité de l’État” and “conspiracy”. They believe that the charges brought, which include the publication of public reports potentially linked to Russia and the sharing of information already accessible to the public, are primarily a press crime and not such serious crimes that can lead to penalties of up to thirty years in prison. RSF expresses itself through the voice of Sadibou Marong, director of the Africa Bureau, affirming that “the prosecution has really dressed up its accusation” with such heavy charges as conspiracy against the State. Marong assumes that these accusations are aimed at circumventing the law on the press in Chad, which eliminates prison sentences for certain press crimes. “The place of these journalists is not the prison”, declares Marong, insisting on the professional integrity of Olivier Monodji and his journal “Le Pays”. The hope is that the next hearing will lead to their release, while urging the Chadian authorities to respect the rights of journalists and allow them to work without fear of reprisals. On the other hand, the SNJ-CGT section of France Médias Monde expressed indignation at the lack of evidence in the case against these journalists, strongly condemning what it considers to be unjustified arrests, and hoping for a speedy release after the scheduled hearing.
Chad: Arrest of four journalists for “attacking state security” and “conspiracy”
