CPJ condemns assault on Mali publisher

New York, 18 Jul – (ANA) - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the brutal attack on Mali veteran journalist Saouti Labass Haïdara saying he had been beaten in retaliation for an article in L’Indépendant which criticised the government. CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita said from New York. “With journalists in Mali working in extremely insecure conditions, authorities must act now to apprehend the perpetrators in this attack and to take urgent steps to ensure the safety of all journalists.”  Mai’s communications minister and government spokesman Hamadoun Touré, told CPJ the government is investigating the assault on Haïdara as well as past attacks on other journalists. “We have not made any arrests as we have not been able to identify these armed men because they are masked. But the government is investigating,” Touré said. The attack on Haïdara comes just two months after state security agents pretending to be printers entered the publisher’s office and took him to the agency’s headquarters, according to news reports. Security agents interrogated him about an article describing a political leaflet that was critical of coup leader Capt. Amadou Sanogo, the reports said. Since the country’s March 22 coup, journalists have been subjected to increasing instances of harassment and assault, CPJ research shows. (ANA)

FA/ANA/18 July 2012------