African Journalists Condemn ‘Harsh’ Verdict Against Editor

International Federation of Journalists (Brussels)

15 April 2011

press release

The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) today condemned the ruling of the Criminal Court in Dakar, Senegal which sentenced on 14 April Abdou Latif Coulibaly, editor of investigative magazine La Gazette, to a three month suspended jail term and ordered him to pay 10 million CFA francs to an oil processing company in Senegal. The public prosecutor reportedly had requested a six month jail sentence.

“This ruling will have a chilling effect on investigative journalism in Senegal and shows the need to decriminalise defamation,” said Omar Faruk Osman, FAJ President. “We are disappointed that the court does not seem to appreciate the role of journalists in providing transparency and accountability on matters of public interest.”

The case against Coulibaly was brought by Abbas Jaber, the owner of SUNEOR, an oil processing company who is also reportedly a close ally of President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal. He claimed the journalist had defamed his honor in two issues of the magazine.

“The law must not be used by the rich and powerful to evade legitimate scrutiny by media. The court has to strike a balance between protecting individual private life and dignity while allowing journalists to carry out their job, free from fear of litigation,” added Faruk.

The FAJ expresses its solidarity with the Senegalese journalists, in particularly the journalists of La Gazette. Abdou Latif Coulibaly is one of the most renowned journalists in Senegal and the wst African sub-region.

“We stand by our colleagues and call on the Senegalese government to urgently decriminalise press offences. We also look to a higher court in Senegal to reverse the decision against Coulibaly.”

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