Cote d’Ivoire: Jail sentences for three detained newspaper journalists

Three editors of privately-owned daily, Le Noveau Courier newspaper detained by the Ivorian authorities for refusing to reveal their sources of information over a July 13 publication will appear before the Plateau Magistrate court in Abidjan, the capital on July 21. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) correspondent in Cote d’Ivoire reported that the journalists could go to prison for a year , if the court grants a request by Oulaï Fernand, the prosecutor in the case.

The correspondent said Oulaï had asked the court to jail the journalists twelve months each and also imposes a 10 million CFA francs (about US$ 20,000) fine on each of them.

The journalists, Saint Claver Oula, Stéphane Guédé and Théophile Kouamouo, editor-in-chief, publisher and managing editor respectively, are being  tried  summarily  for  publishing a leaked report  on  corruption  in the  cocoa   and  coffee  sector  of  the country.

They have been charged for “theft of an administrative document” and sent to the Abidjan Civil Prison.

Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70
Fax: 233-302-22 10 84
Email: mfwa@africaonline.com.gh  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , alerts@mediafound.org This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Website: www.mediafound.org 

- July 21, 2010 by Media Foundation For West Africa
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Source: www.mediafound.org/index.php (accessed on 21.07.10)