In continuing persecution, newspaper publisher arrested and beaten up

The publisher of Haut Parleur, an independent fortnightly, Stéphane Mbaïrabé Ouaye was arrested by judicial police with no warrant on the night of 2 October and was held in a detention centre attached to N’Djamena police headquarters. While he was handcuffed and blindfolded, plainclothesmen beat him up in an attempt to make him reveal his sources for a story in last week’s issue criticising President Idriss Deby and his brother, customs director-general Salay Deby. It was headlined “Salay Deby, national thief.” Then released without any explanation, Ouaye still bears the marks of the blows he received. He is now waiting to be given a date to appear in court on a defamation charge. “The mistreatment of this journalist is a disgrace and is yet one more example of the government’s persecution of the media,” said Reporters Without Borders “Ouaye is the victim of horrible practices that recall those of former President Hissène Habré’s political police, the DDS. If President Deby or his relatives think Ouaye has defamed them, they should refer the matter to the judicial authorities.” This is not Ouaye’s first run-in with the judicial police. He was arrested without a summons on 12 June after Salay Deby filed a defamation suit against him. Chad is ranked 135th out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.