The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) urges the Ivorian authorities to immediately release Vincent Djiropo, Dominique Mensah, and the 18 members of the Winnin community who have been in detention for over a month for opposing land-grabbing and a controversial privatisation of the Monogaga classified forest.
Vincent Djiropo and Dominique Mensah, community leaders defending the ancestral lands of Monogaga in the San Pedro region of Côte d’Ivoire were arrested on 14 and 16 December 2024 respectively for allegedly disturbing public order and spreading false information.
The 20 people have now been held arbitrarily for over a month without being charged or being processed for court.
“The detention of the 20 environmentalists is highly unacceptable and condemnable, an affront to civic expression, free speech and indeed the rule of law. Being detained without trial or judgment constitutes a serious violation of human rights and the right to expression, as guaranteed under Article 11 of the Ivorian Constitution,” Muheeb Saeed, Programme Manager for Freedom of Expression at the MFWA noted.
The MFWA strongly condemns the continued detention of the 20 environmentalists who are being held simply for expressing their dissatisfaction with the management of the Monogaga forest. The MFWA also calls on the authorities to immediately release the detained individuals and ensure that the Monogaga forest is preserved.
The organisation also calls on the authorities to investigate threats against journalist Alain Ahimou who had published an investigative piece on the Monogaga forest.