France/Niger

RFI staff demonstrate for correspondent's release

Article published on the 2008-09-19 Latest update 2008-09-19 15:38 TU

Demonstrators outside Paris's Maison de la Radio
(Photo: Patrick Botant)

Staff and management at Radio France International on Friday held a demonstration in solidarity with RFI's Niger correspondent Moussa Kaka to demand his release after nearly a year in jail. Kaka was arrested on 20 September 2007 for contacting Tuareg rebels for his reporting work.

Trade unions at RFI called for Kaka's immediate release and backed the work of the support committee which has been working for his release, including an online petition.

A demonstration outside RFI's studios was attended by RFI journalists and other staff, as well as managing director Alain de Pouzilhac.

RFI Managing Director Alain de Pouzilhac
(Photo: Patrick Bontant)

Moussa Kaka was found guilty of undermining state authority for activity that his colleagues say was essential to his work.

In July this year, a senior judge in Niger ordered the charges to be dropped, but state prosecutors have lodged an appeal against his release.

On Tuesday an appeal court in Niamey revised the charges, changing the original charge of "complicity to undermine the authority of the state" to "actions liable to harm national defence" and said it would give its verdict on 7 October.

The journalist's lawyer called on judges to throw the case out completely.

The International Federation of the League of Human Rights and its affiliate, the Niger Association for the Defence of Human Rights, called today for the immediate release of Moussa Kaka.

On Thursday Amnesty International joined the international movement to have Moussa Kaka released, calling him a prisoner of conscience.

Moussa Kaka is also director of a private radio station in Niger called Sarawounia.