The international organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), asks Togolese authorities to respect the decriminalization of press offenses and to proceed with the release of the journalist Ferdinand Ayité.
Indeed, the latter, as well as Joel Egah and Isidore Kouwonou spent several hours in the premises of a police unit, before being sent to the Prosecutor of the Republic.
“The director of l’Alternative newspaper Ferdinand Ayité has been illegally detained since yesterday for having implicated ministers during a TV show. Press offenses have been decriminalized since 2004 ! The procedure must be respected and the journalist released,” RSF Twitted on Friday.
According to the latest information from the editorial staff of “l’Alternative”, their publication director, Ferdinand Ayité was indicted on Friday and placed under a committal warrant.
These three colleagues are accused of having spoken badly about two members of the Togolese government who are also pastors in an online broadcast program.
As the Paris-based NGO underlined, Ferdinand’s lawyer, Me Elom Kpade also criticized the authorities for not having presented any formal complaint against them and for not having followed the required procedure for press offenses.
Source : icilome.com