US embassy cable - 05NDJAMENA1481

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 001481 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, DEPARTMENT FOR AF/C, AF/PD 
FOR SWESTGATE, DRL, INR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KPAO, OIIP, PREF, CD, Human RIghts 
SUBJECT: CHAD: THREE JOURNALISTS RELEASED; RADIO DIRECTOR 
IMPRISONED. 
 
REF: NDJAMENA 1414 
 
1. (SBU)  Summary.  The final three jailed journalists have 
been released.  The director of Radio Brakoss, a private 
radio station in southern Chad, has been arrested, and may be 
expelled.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU)  Three journalists who had been arrested on charges 
including defamation, inciting ethnic hatred, and false 
attribution of a photograph, were all released on Monday, 
September 26th.  Koumbo Singa Gali and Samory Ngaradoumbe of 
the Observateur weekly, and Michael Didama of Le Temps 
weekly, were freed after the appelate court ruled that the 
government cannot legally file defamation charges.  However, 
Mr. Didama, while free, may face further legal action, as the 
court did not throw out the charge of inciting ethnic hatred 
brought against him.  Didama also paid a symbolic fine of one 
franc CFA to the Chadian Government.  Last week, President 
Deby publicly stated that he would personally intervene to 
free the journalists if the court did not release them.  He 
made this point to representatives of Reporters Without 
Borders. 
 
3.  (SBU)  Tchanguiz Vatankhah, the director of Radio Brakoss 
in Moisala in southern Chad, was arrested on Friday, 
September 23rd and brought to an N'Djamena jail.  Mr. 
Vatankhah, an Iranian national who fled Iran in the 1960s and 
came to Chad seeking religious assylum, is one of the 
founders of the Baha'i faith in Chad. Mr. Vatankhah founded 
his radio station in the 1970s, and has encountered many 
difficulties with the GOC throughout his career.  The GOC, in 
official and unofficial statements, has stated that Vatankhah 
was not arrested for his activities as a journalist.  Rather, 
GOC says that he was arrested because he has abused his 
status as a refugee and a non-citizen in his business 
activities.  On September 29, a high level contact at the 
Presidency confirmed to DCM, PAO, and P/E officer that 
Vatankhah will very likely be expelled from Chad.  The 
Minister of Public Security Routouang Yoma Golom stated 
publicly that Vatankhah will be turned over to the UNHCR in 
N'Djamena for relocation to another country. 
 
4.  (SBU) Comment. The arrest of four Chadian journalists 
brought broad criticism from the international community, and 
was a headline issue in the Chadian media over the last three 
months.  Post expressed USG concern over the arrests on many 
occasions, to all levels within the GOC, and also at public 
events such as the 4th of July reception. Vatankhah's arrest 
aside, the release of the final three appears to bring to a 
close a difficult and embarrassing chapter for the GOC.  End 
Comment. 
WALL 
 
 
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