Badour Oumar Ali, Editor-in-Chief of the Web Editorial Office of the newspaper Tchadinfos, was arrested and held in the premises of the Directorate of Intelligence Services, provoking the indignation of the Union of umbrella entities of journalists that describe this arrest as arbitrary.
Summoned by the Judicial Police of the 8th arrondissement, the Editor-in-Chief of the online newspaper Tchadinfos, Badour Oumar Ali did not come out of there.
According to a journalist, who accompanied him, shortly after their arrival, he was abducted by armed and hooded men.
In a press statement, the Management of Tchadinfos indicated that it did not know what he was accused of. However, it received confirmation that its employee was being questioned at the National Agency for State Security (ANSE).
Within the Editorial Office of Tchadinfos, there is consternation. The Management speaks of an additional ordeal after that caused by the former advisor to the Presidency, Abakar Manany.
Similarly, it claims to be under pressure “from the family of its employee and other media and organizations.”
In two other press statements, the Union of Chadian Journalists (UJT) and the Association of Online Media in Chad (AMET) condemned “an arbitrary arrest.”
“AMET strongly denounces this act of intimidation and kidnapping, which constitutes a serious attack on freedom of the press and fundamental human rights,” the President of AMET, Bello Bakari Mana said.
For its part, the UJT pleads for respect for procedure. “In the event of a complaint against a journalist, it is imperative to follow legal and judicial procedures and not to resort to kidnappings or arbitrary arrests,” the UJET said.
The umbrella organizations of journalists expressed their solidarity and stressed the importance of respecting the rights of their members.
“AMET reiterates its unwavering commitment to defending freedom of the press and supporting all journalists in their mission to inform,” Bello Bakary Mana said.