9 April 2009

Alert

Idéale FM radio station closed for refusing to reveal sources


Incident details

radio station(s)

closed

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(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders condemns the 8 April 2009 closure of Idéale FM, a privately-owned radio station based in the north-western town of Port-de-Paix, by local prosecutor Jean Frédéric Bénêche for allegedly "obstructing justice." The prosecutor asked the station to identity its sources for a report about Alain Désir, an alleged drug trafficker who is being held in Florida. When the station refused, the prosecutor ordered its closure and had an official seal put on the entrance.

"Pressuring a news media in this manner is unacceptable," Reporters Without Borders said. "It constitutes both an act of censorship and a violation of the confidentiality of sources. It is not the media's job to act as police or judicial auxiliary. We urge justice minister Jean-Joseph Exumé to intervene without delay and put a stop to the situation."



Source:

Reporters Without Borders
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
 

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Updates to this story

Provincial radio station Idéale FM ordered reopened following forced closure 16 April 2009

Haiti

Two Petit-Goâve radio journalists arbitrarily detained 4 July 2011 Radio station destroyed in arson attack 27 April 2011 State TV chief fires three journalists, brings criminal defamation suit against them 13 April 2011 Radio journalist gunned down in Port-au-Prince, motive unclear 15 February 2011 Revival of journalism lags behind media reconstruction, says RSF 12 January 2011 See all alerts: Haiti


 
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