Ahmed Abba is a 38-year-old correspondent for Radio France Internationale’s (RFI) Hausa service. He is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence on charges of “non-denunciation of terrorism” and “laundering of the proceeds of terrorist acts.”
A Cameroonian military court sentenced the journalist on April 24, 2017, his lawyer, Clément Nakong, told Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Nakong said Abba is, however, appealing the sentence.
What led to his arrest:
Abba was arrested on July 30, 2015, as he left a press briefing at the office of a local governor in Maroua, the capital of Cameroon’s far north region, according to RFI. The journalist, who was taken to the capital, Yaoundé, was denied access to a lawyer until October 19, 2015, RFI told CPJ. Officials did not take a statement from Abba until November 13, more than three months after his arrest, which is against the law, according to news reports that cited his lawyers.
Abba, who went on trial on February 29, 2016, was initially charged with complicity in acts of terrorism and failure to denounce acts of terrorism, under the country’s 2014 anti-terrorism law, according to reports .
How he was convicted:
After numerous court appearances and delays, a military tribunal on April 20, 2017, acquitted Abba of “apologizing for acts of terrorism” but convicted him of the two other terrorism-related charges.
RFI cited Charles Tchoungang, a lawyer for Abba, as saying that the journalist was questioned about the activities of the extremist sect Boko Haram, which has renamed itself the Islamic State in West Africa.
Prosecutors said Abba did not inform authorities he had been in contact with Boko Haram. Abba pleaded not guilty on August 3, 2016.
RFI reported that Abba mostly covered refugee issues but also covered attacks carried out by Boko Haram. In a June 2016 statement RFI said Abba’s reporting is professional and called for his immediate release.
Abba is currently appealing the sentence and fellow journalists are called speak up for Abba and join their voice to the call for FreeThePress in Africa.
