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Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has written a response to a recent CPJ protest letter. While we welcome his attention to the issues we raised about press freedom last month, we note with great concern the president’s comments about the ongoing criminal case of two journalists assaulted by police in 2008.
In Wade’s October 8 letter, which included photos of a state
of the art press center currently under construction, he made a number of
serious allegations about the circumstances of the June 2008 incident
involving Babacar Kambel Dieng and Kara Thioune and police officers after a
soccer match. The president, without naming a perpetrator, accused one of the
journalists of provoking the incident by “slapping a police officer.” CPJ is concerned that such strong assertions are expressed as
facts. We are worried that the ongoing
criminal case could be influenced by such remarks. Dieng and Thioune are
entitled to a fair and impartial trial. The outcome should not be prejudged. Wade also suggested that CPJ did not investigate or protest
prison sentences and fines against pro-government Editor Ndiogou Wack Seck. In
fact, a search of Seck’s name on the CPJ Web site shows an April
18, 2007, news alert condemning a prison sentence against him. We welcome the release of two journalists imprisoned on
September 18 on libel charges, a development the president credited to the public
prosecutor’s office, which he said had opposed the judge’s decision to jail the
journalists. CPJ notes the president’s concerns about the press in his
country, including unethical practices in the handling of information, and appreciates
the opportunity to have a constructive dialogue with him.
Read Wade’s original letter in French here.
Read an English translation sent with the original here.
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