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Alert

Publication director receives death threats

(RSF/IFEX) - The publication director of the privately-owned weekly "Forum de la Semaine", Jean-Baptiste Dzilan (also known as Dimas Dzikodo), has been receiving anonymous telephone calls in which the caller has threatened to kill him. The threats began after he published a report by an opposition group.

"Death threats against journalists are to be taken seriously," said RSF. "The interior minister must guarantee Jean-Baptiste Dzilan's safety and open an investigation into the case to identify and punish those responsible for these anonymous calls."

On 23 September 2004, "Forum de la Semaine" published a special report written by the Brussels-based youth opposition group, The 5 October Movement (Mouvement du 5 octobre, MO5). The weekly provided no commentary on the report. Since then, the paper's publication director has been receiving death threats. "You have signed your death warrant by writing the article on MO5 concerning the President's children. Be assured that you will be eliminated, it is only a matter of time," one caller reportedly warned. The calls stopped on 1 October, after Dzilan asked the Interior Ministry to look into the case.

Dzilan regularly publishes articles critical of the way in which General Gnassingbé Eyadéma, Togo's head of state, and those close to power have been running the country. In June 2003, he was arrested at an Internet café while scanning photos of torture victims. He was released in July after paying a 500 000 CFA franc (US$936; 764 euros) fine (see IFEX alerts of 5 August, 25, 23 and 16 July, 25 and 17 June 2003).