The Media Foundation for West Africa welcomes the release of two Senegalese journalists, and urges the Senegalese authorities to take steps to end the increasing repression of press freedom in the country.
The country’s authorities have detained and subsequently released two journalists, in what is creating a culture of intolerance for critical journalism in the country. The journalists were released from police custody October 3, 2024, with their respective cases dismissed, a development that shows that the arrests should not have taken place in the first place.
Seck, a former journalist for Jeune Afrique, was detained on October 1, 2024, after he honoured a summon by the Special Cybercrime Division, which said it was investigating him for false news and defamation, both of which carry severe penalties. The accusations concern his appearance as a guest on 7TV during which he questioned some economic data presented by the Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko.
Seck was released on October 3, and his case has now been closed, marking the end of the legal proceedings against him.
In a separate case, SenTV columnist Kader Dia also regained his freedom after spending 72 hours in police custody. Dia was arrested on September 30, by the Cyber security division of the police after he made some controversial claims regarding the discovery of the bodies of dead migrants off the coast of Dakar. He claimed to have an audio implicating the police in extortion of illegal migrants.
While the MFWA welcomes the release of the two journalists, we insist that they should not have been detained in the first place. Arresting journalists for expressing critical opinions does not fit Senegal’s reputation as a democratic state. These detentions raise concerns about the suppression of dissenting and critical voices in Senegal, which we urge the authorities to take steps to reverse.
