The judicial police summoned colleague Mokhtar Ould Babettah, publishing director of the Echorouq Media website, for a second time this Monday. He was questioned following a complaint lodged by the director of Maaden Mauritania.
He was questioned for more than an hour before being asked to return the following Wednesday for the investigation to continue.
While outside the police station, the Union’s delegation was also shocked to witness a photographer from the Tawatour platform being mistreated, his camera confiscated and him being forced to delete ordinary photographs of colleagues who had come to express solidarity with Mokhtar Babettah.
In view of this situation, the Journalists’ Union expresses concern at the use of repression and intimidation to bring journalists into line and prevent them from performing their professional duties in accordance with professional codes of honour, ethics and the standards of journalism, .
It also rejects the targeting of journalists and attempts to restrict their work.
For the Executive Bureau
Vice-President of the Journalists’ Union
Aziz Essoufi
Nouakchott: 11 October 2021