CHAD: THREE JOURNALISTS RELEASED; RADIO DIRECTOR

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 001481 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, DEPARTMENT FOR AF/C, AF/PD FOR SWESTGATE, DRL, INR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO OIIP PREF CD SUBJECT: CHAD: THREE JOURNALISTS RELEASED; RADIO DIRECTOR IMPRISONED. REF: NDJAMENA 1414 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The final three jailed journalists have been released. The director of Radio Brakoss, a private radio station in southern Chad, has been arrested, and may be expelled. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Three journalists who had been arrested on charges including defamation, inciting ethnic hatred, and false attribution of a photograph, were all released on Monday, September 26th. Koumbo Singa Gali and Samory Ngaradoumbe of the Observateur weekly, and Michael Didama of Le Temps weekly, were freed after the appelate court ruled that the government cannot legally file defamation charges. However, Mr. Didama, while free, may face further legal action, as the court did not throw out the charge of inciting ethnic hatred brought against him. Didama also paid a symbolic fine of one franc CFA to the Chadian Government. Last week, President Deby publicly stated that he would personally intervene to free the journalists if the court did not release them. He made this point to representatives of Reporters Without Borders. ¶3. (SBU) Tchanguiz Vatankhah, the director of Radio Brakoss in Moisala in southern Chad, was arrested on Friday, September 23rd and brought to an N'Djamena jail. Mr. Vatankhah, an Iranian national who fled Iran in the 1960s and came to Chad seeking religious assylum, is one of the founders of the Baha'i faith in Chad. Mr. Vatankhah founded his radio station in the 1970s, and has encountered many difficulties with the GOC throughout his career. The GOC, in official and unofficial statements, has stated that Vatankhah was not arrested for his activities as a journalist. Rather, GOC says that he was arrested because he has abused his status as a refugee and a non-citizen in his business activities. On September 29, a high level contact at the Presidency confirmed to DCM, PAO, and P/E officer that Vatankhah will very likely be expelled from Chad. The Minister of Public Security Routouang Yoma Golom stated publicly that Vatankhah will be turned over to the UNHCR in N'Djamena for relocation to another country. ¶4. (SBU) Comment. The arrest of four Chadian journalists brought broad criticism from the international community, and was a headline issue in the Chadian media over the last three months. Post expressed USG concern over the arrests on many occasions, to all levels within the GOC, and also at public events such as the 4th of July reception. Vatankhah's arrest aside, the release of the final three appears to bring to a close a difficult and embarrassing chapter for the GOC. End Comment. WALL NNNN