Malian editor detained following publication of critical letter

Reporters Without Borders strongly condemns the arrest by the state security service of Le Républicain editor Boukary Ndaou, who is being held in an unknown location.

No charge has so far been announced but his arrest came just hours after his newspaper published an open letter by a soldier criticising president Dioncounda Traoré for the "benefits granted" to Capt. Amadou Sanogo, an army officer who led a military coup in March 2012.

"Mali's current problems do not justify intimidating journalists," Reporters Without Borders said. "Arresting a journalist who draws attention to the dissension within the armed forces since last year's coup just contributes to the instability. The press must be free to cover the most sensitive subjects in order to facilitate a return to stable democracy and respect for human rights, and we therefore call for Ndaou's immediate release."

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