Mr Deltel, Ms Lablache, Mr Gopal

HISTORY REVISITED : Students protested plan for Cuban-style National Youth Service

Volume 5 . Issue No. 39 . Weekend November 3, 2006

Seychelles | 26.10.2006 Click here for the French version

 Judicial harassment forces opposition weekly to stop publishing  

Reporters Without Borders voiced dismay today at the decision of a Seychelles court to sentence the privately-owned weekly Regar to pay an exorbitant fine, thereby forcing one of the archipelago’s two only opposition newspapers to suspend publication.

“The government and its allies have repeatedly sued Regar on the least pretext for years, taking advantage of a biased judicial system,” the press freedom organisation said. “Today they have achieved what they wanted - to silence one of the Seychelles’ few sources of criticism.”

Reporters Without Borders added: “If it were interested in respecting the rules of democracy, the government would reform this absurd system under which a newspaper is convicted by a judge appointed by the plaintiff’s lawyer. It should also realise that forcing critical media out of existence is bad for the country and, above all, bad for the public, which has a right to hear all points of view.”

The management of Regar, which supports the opposition Seychelles National Party (SNP), decided to suspend publication from today in protest against the campaign of legal harassment to which it has been subjected for years.

Regar editor Roger Mancienne told Reporters Without Borders the decision was prompted by the latest lawsuit, in which judge Ranjun Perera on 23 October ordered it to pay 350,000 rupees (52,000 euros) in damages to Seychelles tourism board president Maurice Lousteau-Lalanne for publishing a photo of him that had already appeared in the pro-government Seychelles Nation.

The photo showed him fishing near an island in a marine reserve. Regar’s caption suggested that Lousteau-Lalanne, who is the former president of the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), was fishing in an area protected the SIF. It was alleged during the trial that SIF members are exempted by an internal regulation.

“We cannot continue to publish while constantly under the threat of unjustified lawsuits from political leaders and Government officials with claims of defamation of character on grounds which we consider to be flimsy but which are invariably upheld by judges who are selective in their application of the law,” Regar’s final issue said. The newspaper has appealed, but Mancienne said the appeal was unlikely to be heard before next April.

“It is above all against an unfair and politicised judicial system that we want to protest,” Mancienne told Reporters Without Borders. He added that Lousteau-Lalanne’s lawyer, France Bonté, who is on the central committee of the ruling Seychelles People’s Progressive Front (SPPF), is president of the body responsible for appointing judges.

Regar has been sued eight times by the Seychelles authorities since its creation in 1992, and it has had to pay damages to the police chief, the army chief of staff, the tourism minister and the foreign minister. Until now the damages awards have never been more than 175,000 rupees (26,000 euros). Other lawsuits are pending - two brought in 1999 and 2000 by former President Albert René, and one brought in 2001 by his successor, President James Michel. A total of 12 million rupees (1.8 million euros) in damages have been requested.

Regar’s press was also the target of an arson attack on the night of 8 December 2005 which is still unpunished.

   Reporters Without Borders defends imprisoned journalists and press freedom throughout the world. It has nine national sections (Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). It has representatives in Bangkok, London, New York, Tokyo and Washington. And it has more than 120 correspondents worldwide.

     © Reporters Without Borders 2006

In Solidarity With REGAR The Editorial Board of Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly has decided not to publish its newspaper this week in a move to support REGAR and to highlight the ongoing difficulties and plight of 'Free Press' in Seychelles. 'Seychelles First' above all.

We reproduce here the Press Release on the subject from Reporters Without Borders.

Young dancers perform for guests at Diwali celebration

Down Memory Lane

Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly has decided to serialise one of the most riveting and dramatic criminal trials of our times. This trial provides an in depth view of the way politics was being conducted in Seychelles in the 1970’s. Similarities between then and now are uncanny. It would also put our present political situation in a historical perspective. The Guy Pool Trial continues ... read more

Last Friday Natalie Savy hosted a lunch for some of the STB staff who had helped her in her capacity as the Marketing Manager of STB.  Natalie would have preferred if the lunch hosted was in honour of her promotion to the position of General Manager of the organization. .. read more

NATALIE BIDS FAREWELL TO STB

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IS CHANG-LENG COMPETENT TO LEAD THE CENTRAL BANK?

HAS THE JUDICIARY GONE MAD?

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SPPF MNAs ADMIT THAT SBC IS PARTISAN!

Troukler

ANSE ROYALE HOUSING ESTATE BENEFITS 66 FAMILIES

EDITORIAL

DID OUR CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR FAIL HIS MATHS AT SCHOOL?

Last Friday many viewers of SBC television was left in consternation. If the report had not been entirely in the Creole language, it would have embarrassed all educated and thinking people of this country.  The spectacle was the Governor of the Central Bank, Francis Chang Leng trying to convince us that 15% of 100 is the same thing as 15% of 85. ... read more

The historical event was recorded by the newspaper “Weekend Life” in its issue of 13th October 1979 which we have reproduced. Within one month the editor of independent newspaper, the late Bernard Verlague, was arrested and detained without charge or trial for nine months and his newspaper was closed down by presidential decree.  ... read more

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Guests are captivated by performance during Diwali celebration

The Return of Chickungunya – How prepared are we this time around?

COURT AWARDS DAMAGES AGAINST FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DOCTOR  FOR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE

The Supreme Court presided over by Justice Ranjun Perera has awarded damages against a government doctor for medical negligence in favour of a minor and her mother. The Plaintiffs had sued the doctor and the government of Seychelles as the doctor’s employer for substantial damages as a result of the doctor’s failure to make a proper diagnosis. ... read more

Miss Seychelles 2006

Cuban Ambassador donates book

News coming from the Finance Department of SEPEC is categorically denying the argument of Francis Chang-Leng on SBC TV on Friday 21st October 2006 that Central Bank pays for SEPEC’s fuel bills. Guy Adam, it seems, is fed up of complaining to State House that the accumulated foreign exchange debt of SEPEC amounting to US$61 million as at the end of December 2005, is not being paid by Central Bank. ... read more

Where is Justice?

Sir, In the Nation of the 25th October I read about the appointment by the President of a Consultative Committee on Law and Order. This may be a good development with respect to the future and its composition may reflect a certain degree of fairness but at the moment what the people are requesting is for the President to appoint a commission of enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the vicious assault committed against the Leader of the Opposition and its associate Mr Ferrari within the precinct of the National Assembly.  ... read more

Judge Perera has awarded R 40,000 damages to a young girl who brought a suit for medical malpractice against a government doctor and the government recently. The same judge this week controversially awarded the former Principal Secretary of Health, Mr.  Maurice Lousteau Lalande the sum of R 350,000 damages against Regar Newspaper in a defamation case for ‘injury’ to his reputation. read more

IMAGES OF THE WEEK

NEWS BRIEF

Copyright 2006: Seychelles Weekly, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

CWS Foundation donates to Seychelles Union of the Blind