The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned the arrest of organizers of the demonstration in Burkina Faso to mark the 10^th anniversary of the assassination of prominent investigative journalist, Norbert Zongo.

Last Saturday the coalition against impunity organized a big demonstration in the capital, Ouagadougou, calling for justice for Norbert Zongo ten years after his murder. The coalition also renamed Nation Avenue, Norbert Zongo Avenue. Following the demonstration, four leading figures of the coalition against impunity were arrested and questioned by the gendarmerie. Chrysogone Zougmoré, President of the Coalition, Tolé Sagnon, Vice-President, Bénéwendé Sankara and Jean Claude Meda were questioned about the demonstration and the renaming of Nation Avenue.

"We consider these arrests by the Burkina authorities as an act of intimidation aimed at preventing the inquest to shed light on the assassination of Norbert Zongo," said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa office. "President Blaise Compaoré must show his good will to investigate the killing of Norbert Zongo and to put an end to impunity in Burkna Faso".

Nobert Zongo, an investigative journalist and editor of the weekly L'Indépendant was found dead on December 13, 1998 and his body with those of his three friends burned in the town of Sapouy which is town 100 km south of the capital, Ouagadougou. Zongo was at the time investigating the death of David Ouédraogo, driver of the brother of the President of the Republic, Blaise Compaoré. David allegedly died from the manhandling by the presidential guards after he had been arrested for allegedly stealing money from his employer, François Compaoré. 

"The demonstration brought thousands of citizens calling for an end to impunity in Burkina Faso, and the authorities felt embarrassed;  this explained our arrest and release but we need to be alert because the head of the gendarmerie, Colonel Martin Zambo Zongo who questioned us in presence of his two assistants is going to report to his superiors and we don't know what is going to happen next." said Jean Claude Meda, one of the leaders of the coalition and president of the Burkina Faso Journalists Association, AJB.

The IFJ urges the Government of Burkina Faso to stop all harassment against the protesters, to guarantee an impartial judicial process in the killing of Norbert Zongo and to put an end to impunity in Burkina Faso.

For more information contact the IFJ at + 221 84 201 42 / 43

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 123 countries worldwide