Pro-opposition newspaper suspended in Cote d’Ivoire

(©Afreepress.info/ Lomé, the 23st)-

 The National Press Commission (CNP), the print media regulatory body has suspended Notre Voie, a privately-owned pro-opposition daily newspaper for four publications. The suspension takes effect from May 19, 2012. 

According to the Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent, the decision of the regulatory body follows the publication of material that the commission says amounts to distortion of facts.

The newspaper in its May 12-13, 2012, edition published an article headlined “It is more than a year now since the regime imprisoned them; let us not forget them for genuine reconciliation to take place, they must be freed!!!” and illustrated with photographs captioned “H.E Laurent Gbagbo, President of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, overthrown by the UN-French coalition on April 11, 2012”.

The regulatory body in a swift response described the article as containing “distorted facts.” The commission therefore, invoked Articles 47 and 70 of a 2004 media legislation, to impose the sanction against the pro-opposition newspaper.