Amnesty expresses concern for detainees

Amnesty International has expressed concern about the continued detention of civilians and military personnel held without charge since the 24 December coup in Cote d’Ivoire.

In a letter dated 21 January and addressed to the Ivoirian head of state, Brigadier General Robert Guei, Amnesty said that while many had been released, at least 30 were still in detention. These, it said, included some of ousted President Henri Konan Bedie’s closest associates.

Amnesty called for the immediate release of those being detained without charge. It urged the government to stop holding detainees in secret places to which their families, doctors, lawyers or human rights groups do not have access. Those charged, it added, should be held in official detention centres and granted a fair trial.

The civilian detainees include former Interior Minister Emile Bombet, ex-Construction Minister Albert Tiapani and another close associate of the ousted president. The country’s new authorities claim they were linked to a fraud involving some 18 billion CFA francs (about US $30 million) in EU aid to Cote d’Ivoire, some of which has now been repaid.

The official ‘Fraternite Matin’ daily quotes Guei as saying in a meeting on Monday with the mayors of Cote d’Ivoire: “I am more concerned than you for these three persons because they are closer to me, but you know about the European Union issue and the outcome of this affair will soon be known.”