Accused of publishing “a series of articles deemed false and defamatory,” two Togolese journalists recently received support from the Togolese Media Observatory (OTM) during their recent hearing at the Central Service for Criminal Research and Investigations (SCRIC).
Journalists Cyrille SABLASSOU and Julien SEGBEDJI, from the editorial team of the news website republican.infos, were summoned by the Central Service for Criminal Research and Investigations (SCRIC) for a defamation case. During their hearing, they were supported by the Togolese Media Observatory (OTM), as announced by the organization in a publicly released statement. The two journalists were accused of publishing “a series of articles deemed false and defamatory” in response to a complaint from the Togo National Olympic Committee (CNO-Togo).
The incriminated articles had been disseminated on the internet and messaging platforms like WhatsApp. During their hearing, the authors of the articles acknowledged the allegations against them. They subsequently sought the intervention of the Togolese Media Observatory (OTM) for mediation and an amicable resolution.
Through joint efforts between the presidents of the OTM, CONAPP, and the Director of the Press House, an amicable resolution was achieved. The National Olympic Committee eventually withdrew its complaint against the journalists, thus marking the positive conclusion of the case. The journalists admitted their responsibility and committed to apologizing to the CNO-Togo, particularly its president.
In a statement released this week, the OTM reminded journalists of the importance of strictly adhering to journalistic ethics and emphasized the need for responsible use of social media.
