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afrol News, 22 May - Two editors and an owner of a publishing house have been detained in the capital Niamey since Saturday. They are accused of defamation after a political party and the independent press accused Trade Minister Seïni Oumarou of following tribalist practices in his Ministry's employment policy. According to information gathered by the French media watchdog Reporters sans Frontières (RSF), Abdoulaye Tiémogo, publication editor of 'Canard Déchaîné' and Abarad Mouddour Zakara, publication editor of 'La Roue de l'histoire', were arrested on 18 May in Niamey. The day before, the owner of an unnamed newspaper, Sanoussi Jackou, who is also the leader of the small political opposition party - the Nigerien Self-Management Party -, had been arrested in the same case. The arrests followed a complaint by Minister Oumarou, claiming he had been slandered by statement from the editors of these weekly newspapers. Abdoulaye Tiémogo had interviewed party leader Jackou in a program broadcasted the private radio station 'Tambara FM' on 10 May, where Jackou accused Oumarou and Prime Minister Hama Amadou of practicing ethnic and regional discrimination when recruiting high state officials. The two were detained one week after the interview; shortly thereafter also journalist Zakara. Meanwhile, all three are held in a Niamey prison, where they are waiting for their judgement, envisaged on 24 May. They risk a reaction ranging from six months to two years of prison. RSF has protested their detention, sending a letter to the Nigerien Minister of Transport, Mamane Sani. "These journalists do not have anything to do in prison," RSF Secretary General Robert Ménard wrote in the letter. "We remind to you that arrest as a sanction for violations of the press laws is considered a serious violation of humans right by the United Nations," he added. Ménard further asked the Minister to forward the request to the right authorities to see to the immediate release of the journalists. In an African context, the media freedom situation generally is reasonable satisfactory. Despite financial problems, the private-sector press is growing in Niger; the first two privately-owned dailies were founded simultaneously in March. The independent press is however under growing attack for infringing the media legislation on criminal libel. Earlier this year, journalist was detained for several weeks in Niger. In both cases, cabinet ministers were behind the charges. Abdoulaye Tiémogo repeatedly is being targeted by the government. Last year, he spent 48 hours in prison in a libel case initiated by Agriculture Minister, Wassalké Boukari. On 19 October 2001, Tiémogo was convicted to six months of prison in the case, but the Minister got cold feet and finally withdrew his complaint. Tiémogo had discovered a corruption case involving the Ministry and 200 million francs CFA (approximately 305,000 euros).
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