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Paul Biya has been in power
since 1982
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A
closed military court in Yaounde on Tuesday questioned for several hours
Félix Cyriaque Ebolé Bola, a senior reporter for the privately owned daily
newspaper Mutations and the president of Cameroon's National Union of
Journalists, and Rodrigue Tongue, a senior reporter and the head of the
political desk for the privately owned daily Le Messager, according to
news reports. A lecturer at a journalism school, Baba Wame, was
also interrogated.
News
reports citing an unnamed judicial source said the court
found that the journalists had access to information about national security
and had not informed the authorities. The reports did not elaborate. A report by the independent daily Cameroon Journal said
the journalists were accused of possessing a document containing information
about the health of President Paul Biya.
The
court released both journalists the same day, barred them from reporting, and
ordered them to report to the court every Monday as a guarantee that they would
not flee the country, news reports said. The journalists were also told not to make any public
comments about the case pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The
news website Koaci, which covers news and culture, reported that
journalists attempting to cover the court proceeding were barred from entering
and at least one TV camera was confiscated. The report did not offer further
details.
The
journalists would be given 24-hour notice if they are required to appear in
court for a trial, Claude Assira, Tongue's lawyer, told CPJ.
"This
interrogation may deter journalists and their sources from sharing information
relating to national security, hampering the flow of news," said Peter
Nkanga, CPJ's West Africa representative. "We call on Cameroonian
authorities to stop harassing Félix Cyriaque Ebolé Bola and Rodrigue Tongue and
allow them to work and travel freely."
Didier
Badjeck, a military spokesman, told CPJ he was not authorized to speak about
the case. Information Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakari did not respond to CPJ's
calls or text message.
Peter
Essoka, the vice-president of the National Communications Council, the
government regulator that hears complaints against the media, told CPJ that the
council was investigating the matter as the military had not consulted with it
before summoning the journalists to court.
Source: www.cpj.org
CPJ is an
independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom
worldwide.
Contact:
Sue Valentine
Africa Program
Coordinator
Peter Nkanga
West Africa
Representative
Email: pnkanga@cpj.org
Tom Rhodes
East Africa
Representative
Email: trhodes@cpj.org
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