- Thread starter
- Staff
- #1
Dadparvar
Staff member
- Nov 11, 2016
- 9,648
- 0
- 6
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged the authorities of the Central African Republic on Thursday to drop the charges against detained journalist Landry Ulrich Nguéma Ngokpélé, calling for his immediate release.
CPJ Representative for Francophone Africa Moussa Ngom stated: “The charges against Landry Ulrich Nguéma Ngokpélé over a publication in his newspaper send a chilling signal across the media sector in the Central African Republic … [A]uthorities must secure his immediate release and ensure journalism is not criminalized.”
Ulrich Nguéma Ngokpélé is a journalist and editor of the newspaper “Le Quotidien de Bangui.” He was arrested on May 8 in connection with a report published in the newspaper about the alleged return of former President François Bozizé to the country. According to CPJ, Ngokpélé was arrested by a man in civilian clothing who threatened him with a firearm if he refused to cooperate before taking him to a gendarmerie office. On May 19, the court charged him with complicity in rebellion, spreading information likely to disturb public order, inciting hatred and revolt, and subversion against the constitution and the state, under Articles 11, 12, 292, 295, 381, and 382 of the country’s penal code. The potential penalties provided under these articles include imprisonment and fines. CPJ argued, however, that offenses involving journalism should fall under the Central African Republic’s press laws, not the penal code.
Article 15 of the Central African Republic’s Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, and the government implemented press legislation in 2005 that abolished imprisonment for offenses such as libel and slander. However, criminal penalties remain in place for charges like defamation, incitement of ethnic or religious hatred, and the publication of false information that could disturb the peace.
A group of journalists who visited Ngokpélé while he was in detention described his arrest as arbitrary, noting that it was conducted without adherence to legal procedures and in the absence of an official arrest warrant. They asserted that the reason behind Ngokpélé’s arrest was his article published on April 22, in which he mentioned the presence of former president François Bozizé in the capital, Bangui. Bozizé served as president from 2003 to 2013, when he was ousted following a violent coup and subsequently forced to flee the country. In 2024, the Special Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him for allegedly committing crimes against humanity.
The security situation and human rights conditions in the Central African Republic have deteriorated since the conflict began in 2013, leading to numerous human rights abuses and significantly affecting journalists who operate with little support and face considerable personal risk.
The post Central African Republic urged to end prosecution of jailed journalist appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.
CPJ Representative for Francophone Africa Moussa Ngom stated: “The charges against Landry Ulrich Nguéma Ngokpélé over a publication in his newspaper send a chilling signal across the media sector in the Central African Republic … [A]uthorities must secure his immediate release and ensure journalism is not criminalized.”
Ulrich Nguéma Ngokpélé is a journalist and editor of the newspaper “Le Quotidien de Bangui.” He was arrested on May 8 in connection with a report published in the newspaper about the alleged return of former President François Bozizé to the country. According to CPJ, Ngokpélé was arrested by a man in civilian clothing who threatened him with a firearm if he refused to cooperate before taking him to a gendarmerie office. On May 19, the court charged him with complicity in rebellion, spreading information likely to disturb public order, inciting hatred and revolt, and subversion against the constitution and the state, under Articles 11, 12, 292, 295, 381, and 382 of the country’s penal code. The potential penalties provided under these articles include imprisonment and fines. CPJ argued, however, that offenses involving journalism should fall under the Central African Republic’s press laws, not the penal code.
Article 15 of the Central African Republic’s Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, and the government implemented press legislation in 2005 that abolished imprisonment for offenses such as libel and slander. However, criminal penalties remain in place for charges like defamation, incitement of ethnic or religious hatred, and the publication of false information that could disturb the peace.
A group of journalists who visited Ngokpélé while he was in detention described his arrest as arbitrary, noting that it was conducted without adherence to legal procedures and in the absence of an official arrest warrant. They asserted that the reason behind Ngokpélé’s arrest was his article published on April 22, in which he mentioned the presence of former president François Bozizé in the capital, Bangui. Bozizé served as president from 2003 to 2013, when he was ousted following a violent coup and subsequently forced to flee the country. In 2024, the Special Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him for allegedly committing crimes against humanity.
The security situation and human rights conditions in the Central African Republic have deteriorated since the conflict began in 2013, leading to numerous human rights abuses and significantly affecting journalists who operate with little support and face considerable personal risk.
The post Central African Republic urged to end prosecution of jailed journalist appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.