The Chadian judiciary absolves journalists of the charges of “communicating with Russia” | news

A court in Najamina, the capital of Chad, yesterday, Tuesday, has acquitted 4 Chadian journalists of the charge of “communicating with a foreign party”, after more than 4 months of detention against the background of alleged meetings with individuals suspected of belonging to the Russian “Wagner” group.

Accusations

In early March, journalists were arrested after suspicions of communicating with Russian elements during the period between August and September 2024, at a time when the country was witnessing an increasing security tension.

Despite the defendants’ denial of the charges against them, the Public Prosecution demanded that they be imprisoned for a period of up to two years, the court ruled that the evidence was insufficient, and ordered their release and the return of phones and computers that were confiscated during the investigation.

Reactions and warnings

The defense team expressed its rejection of the ruling “based on doubt,” considering that the case lacks the legal foundations that make up the crime, and demanded that a final ruling be issued completely innocent.

For its part, the Chadian Journalists Syndicate expressed its initial satisfaction with the rule, but warned of the continued restrictions on media freedoms, stressing that repeated arbitrary arrests constitute an upward threat to the freedom of the press and the right to expression in the country.

It is noteworthy that Chad fell to 108th globally in the Freedom of Press Index for the year 2025 issued by the “Reporters Without Borders” organization, after it was ranked 96th last year, which reflects an unfavorable environment for media work and raises increasing concerns about the independence of press institutions.