The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) strongly condemns the arrest of Alfouseyni Togo, editor of the Canard de la Venise newspaper. Togo was remanded in custody on April 9th 2025 by the Judicial Unit Against Cybercrime.
The journalist was charged with “undermining the state’s reputation”, “insults via a computer system” and ‘defamation’. His trial is scheduled for 12 June 2025.
The charges levelled against him follow the publication of his article in issue 136 of his newspaper, Canard de la Venise, published on April 8, 2025 with the heading, Malian justice or the plague of the century: the mistake made by Minister Mamoudou Kassogué.
The article is based on figures the Minister of Justice, Mamoudou Kassogué, cited concerning research findings on people’s trust in the judiciary. The Ministers submission followed a research carried out by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The Minister indicated that public trust had increased significantly, from 30% to 72% in 2024.
In his article, Togo contested the accuracy of the figures, pointing out in particular that the survey was based on an insufficient sample (2,055 individuals) for a population estimated at 23 million.
The journalist further reported in his article that the judiciary in Mali is riddled with corruption and manipulated to achieve political goals. He based his comments on some statements made by the former Prosecutor General of the Bamako Court of Appeal, the late Daniel Amagouin Téssougué. In his statements, Téssougué had denounced the hold of the executive over the judiciary and internal complicities within the judiciary.
Following the arrest of Togo and the alarm it caused among the media and press freedom community in Mali, a meeting of media professionals was held at the Maison de la Presse, where journalists expressed their indignation and called for his release. The President of the Maison de la Presse, Bandiougou Dante, has opted for dialogue with the courts to obtain Togo’s release before his trial scheduled for 12 June.
The press, even when it is critical, is an essential pillar of a well-functioning state. It allows public action to be questioned, evaluated and improved in the interests of accountability and transparency. Suppressing the voices of journalists under the pretext of undermining the reputation of the state is retrogressive and unhealthy for the progress of any society/state.
The Media Foundation for West Africa joins the Maison de la Press of Mali in calling for dialogue to resolve the issue. The organisation also calls for the unconditional release of journalist Alfouseyni Togo.