In a letter to Interior Minister General Sizing Walla, RSF protested the
arrest of Lucien Messan, editorial director of the weekly "Le Combat du
peuple". RSF asked the minister to withdraw his complaint and refer the
matter to the appropriate authorities so that the journalist is released
immediately.
"The motive for his arrest is only a pretext to silence one of the most
critical voices within the opposition press," stated Robert Menard, the
organisation's secretary-general.
"The Togolese authorities must stop attacking journalists from the private
press, notably those who question the policies of President Gnassingbe
Eyadema," added the secretary-general.
According to information obtained by RSF, on 23 May 2001 Messan presented
himself to the police in response to a summons. He was informed that a
complaint had been lodged against him for "falsehood and the use of falsehood"
by the Interior Minister, and the journalist was immediately transferred
to Lome civil prison. He was charged with having affixed his signature
at the bottom of a communique from the Togolese Private Press Publishers
Association (Association togolaise des editeurs de la presse privee, ATEPP).
In fact, the publication director of "Le Combat du Peuple" is Lucien Messan's
son, Messan S. Junior. It is the latter who is authorised to sign the ATEPP's
documents. The communique denounced statements by the Togolose prime minister,
according to which "publication directors were unanimous in affirming that
there have never been hundreds of deaths in Togo." The ATEPP accused the
government of "seeking to use the private press."
In August 2000, Lucien Messan lodged a complaint against the Interior
Minister for "abuses of power," following repeated seizures of copies of
"Le Combat du peuple" by the police (see IFEX alerts of 1 August and 19
July 2000).
Messan, 55 years of age, is the most senior figure in the Togolese private
press. He is known to be one of the most severe critics of Eyadema's regime.
He was detained in September 1998 and accused of "spreading false news."
For further information, contact Jean-Francois Julliard at RSF, rue
Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1
45 23 11 51, E- mail: afrique@rsf.fr,
Internet: http://www.rsf.fr
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of
RSF. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
RSF.
