Mali: Alfousseini Togo’s detention marks the latest crackdown on journalists
Alfousseini Togo, the editor of the weekly Le Canard de la Venise, was jailed on 9 April after being questioned by the cybercrime unit of the public prosecutor's office. He is being prosecuted for “undermining the credibility of the justice system” after writing an article about the judiciary. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the wrongful detention of the journalist and calls for his immediate release.
Alfousseini Togo has now spent two nights in prison in the Malian capital of Bamako, which raises a glaring question: why is the Malian judiciary deliberately avoiding the press law?
On Wednesday, 9 April, the editor of Le Canard de la Venise was remanded in custody after a hearing with the cybercrime prosecutor. Initially summoned on charges relating to the law on cybercrime, the journalist is now being prosecuted for “undermining the credibility of the justice system,” “disturbing the peace” and “defamation”, according to a colleague. The prosecutor of the cybercrime unit has not yet made any public statement on the matter. Alfousseini Togo's trial is scheduled for 12 June.
In the latest edition of his newspaper — published on 8 April, the day before he was taken into custody — the journalist had written an article that questioned comments made by the Minister of Justice and criticised the judiciary’s lack of independence.
"The charges brought against journalist Alfousseini Togo under the cybercrime law and his pre-trial detention are the latest sign of the crackdown on press freedom in Mali. The charges against this journalist, who merely expressed an opinion critical of the country’s justice system, are disproportionate and vague, which shows a willful choice to ignore the country’s press law. RSF calls for Alfousseini Togo's immediate release.
Alfousseini Togo started his journalism career as part of the editorial staff of the newspaper Le Challenger, before founding Le Canard de la Venise in 2014. Headquartered in Mopti, a city in the centre of the country, the weekly mainly covers regional news, with occasional stories on subjects of national interest.
Several local organisations have expressed concern about the arrest. The National Union of Young Press Editors (UNAJEP), whose members have visited the imprisoned journalist, expressed in a press release “deep regret at the detention of a journalist because of his opinions, under legislation that does not fall within the scope of the law on the press regime and press offences.”
In Mali, journalism is practised within the framework of a law passed a quarter of a century ago, which has not decriminalised press offences. However, the law on cybercrime contains harsher provisions, according to the country’s media professionals, who fear Alfousseini Togo’s case may become a dangerous precedent. While journalists operated without major constraints for many years, the arrival of new military authorities — coupled with political instability in the north of the country — have restricted journalists’ ability to do their jobs.
