Cameroun: FAJ Condemns the Continuous Threats against Journalists

The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) during its Steering Committee Meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia noted with deep concern and condemned in the strongest possible terms the continued threats against journalists Thierry Ngogang, editor in chief of the private channel STV2, Alex Gustave Azebaze, independent journalist and second secretary of the National Union of the Journalists of Cameroun (SNJC), Anani Rabier Bindzi, journalist of the private television channel Canal2 International and Manassé Aboya Endong, Director of publication of Africa Top Secret, who have all be summoned to appear before the penal court of Douala on January 12, 2010

Most recently, Jean Marc Soboth, First Secretary of the National Journalists Union of Cameroun (SNJC) an IFJ affiliate and also a FAJ Steering Committee Member and Nadege Christelle Bowa a female journalist of the daily newspaper, Le Messager on January 17 were held and interrogated by the local force for several hours.

“We are outraged by this politicized trial of our colleagues” said Omar Faruk Osman, President of FAJ. “The freedom of expression is a vital corner stone of any democracy and a crucial ingredient to ensure transparency and accountability most especially for a country like Cameroun, which has been labeled as one of the most corrupt countries in the world”

On June 1^st, 2008, during the broadcast of a very popular programme “Cartes sur table” on STV2, the four journalists, plus Jean Marc Soboth, 1^st Secretary of the SNJC discussed about the police investigations concerning former managers of public resources suspected of corruption. More than one year after and with general surprise, on January 7, 2010, the prosecutor summoned the journalists to appear before a penal court and reproached them for having “together and in concert publicly reported a legal and not definitively judged procedure” and “to have revealed without authorization of that to which belongs a confidential fact that he did not know or which was entrusted to him only because of his profession or its function”. According to the Cameroonian penal code, these journalists risk up to 3 years imprisonment and of a fine of up 5 million F CFA if found guilty.

At the time of the hearing on January 14, the Public Prosecutor promised to use of all the legal means under his jurisdiction to force Jean Marc Soboth to appear before him during the next hearing.

Meanwhile, on Sunday January 17, 2010 Jean Marc Soboth received a death threats message on his mobile phone.

FAJ calls on the Cameronian authorities to put an immediate end to this legal procedure and to engage the media in a dialogue for the greater interest of democracy and national development.

For more information contact +221 33 867 95 87
The FAJ represents over 50,000 journalists in 36 counties in Africa

-January 27, 2010 by FAJ

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Source: africa.ifj.org/en/articles/faj-condemns-the-continuous-threats-against-journalists-in-cameroun (accessed on 28.01.10)