New York, January 13, 2017--Congolese
authorities should immediately release Ghys
Fortuné Dombé Bemba, editor of the privately owned newspaper Talassa, the Committee to Protect
Journalists said today. The Republic of Congo's security services arrested
Bemba in Brazzaville on January 11, Radio France Internationale reported.
Congolese Public Prosecutor André
Oko Ngakala said in a statement the following day that Bemba
was under investigation for "complicity in undermining state security" in
connection with Frédéric Bintsamou, also
known as Pastor Ntumi, a former rebel leader who the government accuses of
terrorism.
Congolese outlet Brazza
News reported that officials visited Bemba at his office two days
before his arrest in connection with several articles published in Talassa.
After Bemba's arrest, various news outlets reported that the journalist could
have been detained because the paper had published a statement by Pastor Ntumi,
been critical of the military, and had allegedly angered the head of the state-run
press regulator.
"We call on Congolese authorities to
immediately release Ghys
Fortuné Dombé Bemba," said Angela Quintal, CPJ's Africa
program coordinator. "Journalists should be free to publish critical and
opposing views without fear of arrest."
Bemba is being held at a
local police station, reports said. CPJ could not determine if he has been
charged. The public prosecutor did not immediately
respond to CPJ's email requesting comment.
Local news reports said Bemba's arrest could have been linked to reports calling for Congolose authorities to force elderly military officials into retirement, and alleging wrongdoing by members of the military.
Radio France Internationale reported that Bemba had allegedly angered Philippe Mvouo, head of the press regulator High Council for Freedom of Communication, with an article in the latest edition of Talassa about an aborted meeting between Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Mvouo told Radio France Internationale that Bemba's arrest was not connected to his journalism.
Talassa has been previously targeted by authorities. In November 2007, CPJ documented how the High Council for Freedom of Communication suspended Talassa for two months in relation to an editorial critical of Congo's president. It was suspended for four months in 2013, along with three other newspapers, CPJ reported.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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