The editor-in-chief of a leading Chadian news website was arrested by police, according to a statement released late Wednesday by a group of online media outlets. This comes just a week after his website’s suspension was lifted.
Badour Oumar Ali, the editor of TchadInfos.com, was reportedly summoned by judicial police and subsequently taken away by “armed and hooded men” in an unmarked vehicle upon his arrival at the national security agency, the Chad Online Media Association (AMET) stated.
The Chadian government has yet to comment on the arrest.
TchadInfos.com, a prominent private news platform in Chad, was suspended for several days in late July before being reinstated on August 1.
In a related incident raising concerns over freedom of speech and human rights under President Mahamat Idriss Deby, a priest known for delivering anti-government sermons was arrested on Monday at his parish. The priest, who had ties to the late opposition leader Yaya Dillo, was released on Tuesday after his arrest had sparked public outcry.
Opposition leader Succes Masra described the priest’s detention as a “kidnapping,” while government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah justified the arrest, stating it was part of an investigation into “recurring remarks” that allegedly incited division and threatened national cohesion.
These arrests have intensified concerns about the state of free speech under Deby’s leadership. Deby came to power as interim leader following his father’s death in 2021 and was declared the winner of a presidential election in May. The results were contested by his chief opponent, Succes Masra, while Yaya Dillo, a close associate of the arrested priest, was killed by security forces on February 28, the day the election date was announced.
