France Friday welcomed as positive the move by Niger to release
the two French journalists, who have been in detention in Niger for
nearly one month, on charges of " violating the security of the
state."
"The president welcomes this excellent news, he welcomes the
decision of the Nigerian court to release the two on bail," French
presidential office spokesman David Martinon said during his weekly
press briefing.
"The president has been following this case very closely and he
spoke over the telephone with his Nigerien counterpart Mamadou
Tandja Thursday in an effort to move things forward," the spokesman
said.
During their conversation, "President Tandja said his main
concern was to see that Niger's institutions, including the justice
system, were respected, and this has been the case," according to
Martinon.
"We now hope that the two journalists will be able to return to
France as soon as possible," said the spokesman.
An investigating judge earlier Friday in Niamey ordered the
release on bail of Pierre Creisson and Thomas Dandois, who have
been in police custody since Dec. 21 last year for having made a
video report on the leaders of the Nigerien Movement for Justice (
MNJ), a simmering Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country,
even though they had obtained a permit to make a report on avian
flu.
The two journalists should "probably" get out of jail Friday
afternoon and then return to France, William Bourdon, one of the
lawyers representing the two, told reporters in the Nigerien
capital of Niamey.
(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2008)
