Chadian police have arrested Baddour Oumar Alh, the editor-in-chief of the influential news website TchadInfos.com, on Wednesday, just a week after the suspension of his website was lifted. Alh was summoned by judicial police and transported in an unmarked vehicle to the national security agency, as reported by the Chad Online Media Association (AMTF) in a statement.
Upon arrival, Alh was taken away by “armed and hooded men,” a move that has raised alarm among press freedom advocates. A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
TchadInfos.com, a prominent news outlet in Chad, was previously suspended for several days in late July before being reinstated on August 1. The suspension had already sparked concerns about media freedom in the country.
In a related incident, Father Mahamat Idriss Deby, a priest known for his anti-government sermons, was arrested on Monday in his parish. Opposition leader Succes Masra described the arrest as a “kidnapping,” noting the priest’s close ties to the late opposition leader Yaya Dillo.
Government spokesperson Abdremani Koulamallah stated that the priest’s arrest followed an investigation into “recurring remarks” he had made, which were deemed to be “inciting insurrection and endangering national cohesion.”
These arrests have intensified concerns about free speech under President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who took power after his father’s death in 2021 and was declared the winner of a presidential election in May. The opposition has disputed the results, with Dillo’s camp claiming the election was marred by irregularities.
Reuters
