By The Moscow Times | Created at 2025-03-10 21:05:48 | Updated at 2025-03-11 00:23:42
3 hours ago
Three journalists in Chad were jailed pending trial on charges of colluding with the Wagner private military company, the public prosecutor and one of the journalist’s lawyers said Monday.
“They are suspected of working with the Russian paramilitary group Wagner,” Public Prosecutor Omar Mahamat Kedelaye told AFP.
The journalists — Olivier Mbaindinguim Monodji, director of the weekly Le Pays and Chadian correspondent for Radio France Internationale (RFI); Le Pays editor Ndilyam Guekidata; and Tele Tchad journalist Mahamat Saleh Alhissein — were charged with espionage, conspiracy and attacking state institutions, lawyer Allahtaroum Amos said.
Kedelaye said the arrests stemmed from documents allegedly showing the journalists provided information on Chad’s security and economy, actions deemed to “harm Chad's military or diplomatic situation or its economic interests.”
The allegations amounted to “plotting against the state and complicity,” Kedelaye added.
All three journalists were sent to Klessoum prison on Monday after questioning and are set to appear in court on Thursday.
Tele Tchad management told AFP on Sunday that its reporter was accused of translating Russian documents related to Wagner operations in Mali and the Sahel’s economic situation. Other sources said Monodji was arrested over an article on the September inauguration of the Russian House cultural center in Chad’s capital, N'Djamena.
The arrests come amid a broader crackdown on journalists, politicians and opposition figures under Chad’s military leader, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno. Rights groups, including the World Organization Against Torture, have condemned Chad’s increasing use of arrests and detentions without due process.
Deby, who took power after his father’s death three years ago, has moved Chad away from its former colonial ruler, France, and strengthened ties with Russia. Moscow has sent Wagner Group mercenaries to several countries in the Sahel, including Mali and the Central African Republic, which borders Chad.
In September, three Russians — one with ties to late Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin — were arrested upon arrival in Chad and detained for five weeks without explanation from Russian or Chadian authorities.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
