Security forces detain, assault radio correspondent

April 15, 2006
Posted: April 17, 2006

René Dillah Yombirim, BBC and Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (RNT)

ATTACKED

Security forces detained Yombirim, a correspondent for the BBC and state-owned radio, while he was interviewing residents in the capital, N’Djamena, following an attempt by rebels to overthrow the government of President Idriss Déby. Local journalists told CPJ that Yombirim was taken to a military camp, where he was detained for two hours and badly beaten before being released without charge. The journalist suffered several injuries in the attack, including three broken teeth, local journalists said.

It was unclear what motivated the attack. Dobian Assingar, a human rights activist and journalist based in N’Djamena, told CPJ that the security forces confiscated Yombirim’s recording equipment and listened to the recordings of his interviews.