PressBridge

Togolese journalist Apollinaire Mewenemesse appeared before the High Audiovisual Authority (HAAC) on Friday March 1. The publishing director of the weekly “La Dépêche” was summoned because of the article entitled “The villainous assassination of Colonel Madjoulba, and if General Félix Kadangha Abalo was Captain Dreyfus of Togo”, published on February 28 in the said newspaper. A few hours before the hearing, 11 civil society organizations stepped up and launched an appeal to the population. 

In a note dated February 29, the HAAC invited Apollinaire Mewenemesse to a discussion meeting at its Lomé headquarters on Friday March 1, 2024. 

The note specifies that the publication director was summoned following the publication in issue 1185 of February 28, 2024 of his newspaper and entitled “The villainous assassination of Colonel Madjoulba, and if General Félix KADANGHA Abalo was Captain Dreyfus of Togo ". 

In addition, the HAAC asked the journalist to bring the letter from the former President of the Constitutional Court, the late Aboudou Assouma to which the article alluded in its production. 

Mobilization around Apollinaire Mewenemesse
In a press release released early Friday, the movements and associations, ALCADES – ASVITTO – GAGL – GCD – GLOB – FDP– LCT – LTDH – MCM – MJS – SEET say they are concerned by the worrying propensity of threats against Togolese journalists in the exercise of their profession. 

They recall that several journalists are today forced into exile after heavy prison sentences and fines; others are still under legal proceedings and supervision; another died in circumstances that have not yet been clarified;many of them have their phones attacked and tapped by the Pegasus spyware. 

“All this is happening in indifference, under the silent and complicit gaze of the HAAC, whose sovereign role is to guarantee and ensure the freedom and protection of the press and all means of mass communication,” denounce the CSOs. 

They make a bitter and painful observation which prevents the effective emergence of the values ​​of democracy, the rule of law and human rights against which it is imperative to act. 

“CSOs have decided to no longer remain spectators in the face of the muzzling and exponential gagging of the nosy private press; in short, the attempt to silence all whistleblowers and human rights defenders by the dictatorship,” revealed these movements andassociations. 

At the same time, they ask national and international public opinion, development partners, politicians and the Togolese population to say a big, categorical NO to yet another suppression of freedom of the press and expression in Togo.