On March 5, 2025, Chadian judicial police officers arrested Monodji Mbaindiguim, publication director of the privately owned weekly Le Pays newspaper, in his office in the capital, N'Djamena, without providing an explanation.
Monodji is also known as Olivier Monodji and works as a correspondent for the French state-owned Radio France Internationale (RFI) broadcaster.
On March 10, Monodji was charged with "intelligence with agents of a foreign power," conspiracy against the state, and attacking state institutions. Six other co-defendants, including Toumaï Web Medias’ publishing director Ahmat Ali Adji, faced the same charges according to a a June 10 referral order to the correctional court, reviewed by CPJ.
The public prosecutor, Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye, told media outlets he suspected that the accused had provided information to the Russian mercenary group, Wagner, after Kedelaye received documents revealing that "some compatriots provided information related to Chad's security and economy to a foreign power."
In the referral order, the investigating judge said Monodji had helped Russian agents publish propaganda-like articles against France and Ukraine for a fee. Several articles in Le Pays alleged that Ukraine was supporting “terrorist” groups in the Sahel and one covered the opening of a Russian cultural center.
The order said that Monodji told the judge that the articles reflected Le Pays' editorial line and Chad’s regulatory High Authority for Media and Audiovisual Affairs would have questioned the newspaper if it thought otherwise.
The seven defendants were accused of committing the crimes after meeting with two Russians on various dates between May and September 2024, the referral order said.
Three Russians were detained at the Russian cultural center’s September launch on unexplained charges and later deported. One had close ties with Wagner.
On June 10, the judge dropped the charges of an “attack” and “conspiracy” against the state on the grounds that Monodji had committed "no act constituting an attack" and there was “no concerted or agreed resolution" between Monodji and the other defendants to justify the conspiracy charge, the referral order said. The "intelligence with agents of a foreign power" charge was retained, it added.
On July 8, a N'Djamena court acquitted and released Monodji after more than four months in detention. The six other co-defendants were also acquitted.
CPJ's March 2025 calls to request comment from Kedelaye were not answered.