Committee to Protect Journalists - Mali

Journalist detained by Mali state security over document

2012-05-14T16:24:01Z

On May 12, 2012, intelligence agents in the capital Bamako summoned editor Biram Fall of the private biweekly Le Prétoire for interrogation, according to local news reports and Agence France-Presse.

In Mali, journalists attacked in coup aftermath

2012-03-30T21:35:37Z

New York, March 30, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns attacks and threats against several journalists covering the aftermath of the March 22 military coup in Mali that ousted President Amadou Toumani Touré.

CPJ, African groups call for press freedom commitment

2010-07-08T15:20:47Z

Your Excellencies: As you gather in Paris for festivities that celebrate your nations’ 50 years of independence, we, the undersigned African press freedom advocates petition for your public commitment to a free, vibrant, and self-sustaining press as a cornerstone of the development of francophone Africa in the next five decades.

Attacks on the Press 2007: Africa Snapshots

2008-02-05T16:59:20Z

Attacks & developments throughout the region

Attacks on the Press 2007: Middle East and North Africa Snapshots

2008-02-05T15:48:30Z

In Mali, politician assaults journalist over election coverage

2007-07-31T16:00:00Z

New York, July 31, 2007—A few days after being assaulted and threatened by a parliamentarian-elect, a reporter in southern Mali has filed a complaint in a local court.

Local politician Mamadou Sinayoko attacked reporter Adama Coulibaly, a presenter at community Radio Kafo-Kan in the southern city of Bougouni, 462 miles (743 km) south of the capital Bamako, on July 23. Sinayoko kicked Coulibaly in the ribs, knocking him out of his chair, said Radio Kafokan director Seydou Koné. Coulibaly was not seriously injured, but complained of pain after the assault, Koné said.

CPJ condemns convictions in Malian school essay case

2007-06-26T16:00:00Z

New York, June 26, 2007—Five Malian journalists who covered a high school essay assignment—and the teacher who commissioned the lesson—were convicted today of insulting President Amadou Toumani Toure, according to news reports and local journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the verdicts, which stemmed from a classroom exercise about an imaginary presidential sex scandal, and called for the convictions to be reversed on appeal.

More Malian journalists jailed in high school essay crackdown

2007-06-21T16:00:00Z

New York, June 21, 2007—Authorities in the capital Bamako have jailed five journalists in a week—the first arrests in the country since 2003—in the aftermath of an article about a high school essay assignment concerning an imaginary presidential sex scandal.

Director Hameye Cissé of the private weekly Le Scorpion, and directors Birama Fall of Le Républicain, Alexis Kalambry of Les Echos, and Sambi Touré of Info-Matin were jailed in Bamako’s central prison on Wednesday on charges of complicity in an offense against the head of state, according to news reports. The journalists were arrested after their papers reprinted a June 1 story by Info-Matin editor Seydina Oumar Diarra, who was jailed last week.

In Mali, high school essay assignment lands journalist in prison

2007-06-15T16:00:00Z

New York, June 15, 2007— A state prosecutor in Mali jailed a journalist for an article about a high school essay assignment in which the students were asked to write about a fictional sex scandal involving a president and his mistress.

Seydina Oumar Diarra, an editor for the private daily newspaper Info-Matin, was questioned for more than three hours, charged with offense to a head of state, and taken to the central prison in the capital of Bamako on Wednesday in connection with a June 1 article, editor-in-chief Sékouba Samaké told CPJ. The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to 600,000 CFA francs (US$1,200). The teacher was jailed on the same charges.

Journalists handed suspended prison sentences over critical story

2007-03-12T16:00:00Z

New York, March 12, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned criminal defamation convictions handed down last week by a court in the capital, Bamako, against two journalists for a December 2006 story critical of a government minister.

Director Diaby Makoro Camara and Editor Oumar Bouaré of the private monthly Kabako were sentenced to four-month suspended terms, fined 50,000 CFA francs (US$100), and ordered to publish the court decision, defense lawyer Amadou Tiéoulé Diarra told CPJ. They plan an appeal, he said.

In Mali, radio targeted over critical broadcasts in wake of presidential polls

2007-03-12T16:00:00Z

New York, March 12, 2007—A private radio station in the central town of Markala was given an eviction notice by authorities last week, after airing broadcasts critical of President Amadou Toumani Touré ahead of next month’s elections.

Radio Jamakan, housed in the government-owned complex of Office du Niger (ON), an agency managing irrigation projects, was ordered to “surrender the ON premises by March 31,” according to private daily Les Echos in the capital Bamako. The action was linked to the station’s March 3-4 broadcasts of a conference of the FDR party, the main opposition group challenging Touré’s second-term bid in the April 29 presidential election, local journalists told CPJ.

Attacks on the Press 2005: Countries That Have Jailed Journalists (Follow Links for More Details)

2006-02-16T16:59:55Z

AFGHANISTAN: 1

Ali Mohaqqiq Nasab, Haqooq-i-Zan (Women's Rights)
Imprisoned: October 1, 2005

The attorney general ordered editor Nasab's arrest on blasphemy charges after the religious adviser to President Hamid Karzai, Mohaiuddin Baluch, filed a complaint about his magazine. "I took the two magazines and spoke to the Supreme Court chief, who wrote to the attorney general to investigate," Baluch told The Associated Press.

Radio journalist severely beaten by unidentified assailants

2005-07-06T16:00:00Z

New York, July 6, 2005—Unidentified assailants kidnapped and brutally beat a commentator for the independent Radio Kledu yesterday in the Malian capital, Bamako. Hamidou Diarra was found several hours later about 10 miles (15 kilometers) outside of Bamako, Radio Kledu director Abel Koné told CPJ. No suspects were immediately identified.

Local journalists said they believe that the assault on Diarra was linked to his work at the radio station. Diarra, known on-air as "Dragon," presents a popular program in the Malian language Bambara in which he often criticizes alleged abuses of power by local politicians and others.

MALI

2005-05-12T04:00:00Z

JULY 5, 2005
Posted: July 7, 2005

Hamidou Diarra, Radio Kledu
ATTACKED

Unidentified assailants kidnapped and brutally beat a commentator for the independent Radio Kledu in the Malian capital, Bamako. Hamidou Diarra was found several hours later about 10 miles (15 kilometers) outside of Bamako, Radio Kledu director Abel Koné told CPJ. No suspects were immediately identified.

Attacks on the Press in 2003: Journalists in Prison

2004-03-11T17:00:00Z

There were 138 journalists in prison around the world at the end of 2003 who were jailed for practicing their profession. The number is the same as last year. An analysis of the reasons behind this is contained in the introduction on page 10.

At the beginning of 2004, CPJ sent letters of inquiry to the heads of state of every country on the list below requesting information about each jailed journalist. Readers are encouraged to add their voices to CPJ's by writing directly to the heads of state, whose names and addresses can be found at www.cpj.org.