Comoros: Defamation Trial Against Andjourza Abouheir Commences for Speaking out About Sexual Violence
The Coalition For Women In Journalism urges authorities to drop the case and instead investigate allegations of sexual violence against women journalists.
Location: Comoros, Moroni
Date: June 22, 2023
Four journalists, including Andjouza Abourheir, face criminal defamation and insult charges after a complaint by an executive of broadcaster ORTC. Each spoke publicly or reported on alleged sexual violence faced by women journalists at the station. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this abusive legal harassment and demands a thorough investigation into sexual assault allegations.
On June 22, journalists from various media outlets in Comoros are set to face defamation trial in a case brought by Hablani Assoumani, a senior executive at the national television station ORTC. Defamation is a criminal offense in Comoros.
Andjouza Abouheir of Gazette des Comores, RFI correspondent Abdallah Mzembaba, and Oubeidillah Mchangama of Facebook FM Comores, along with Toufé Maecha, news director of the Comoros Radio and Television Office (ORTC) and president of the local section of the International Francophone Press Union, have all been summoned to court.
The trial stems from an incident on 17 January 2023, during a ceremony where the Comorian president presented his best wishes to the media.
Andjouza Abouheir — the head of the journalists' union at the time — used the opportunity to highlight the challenges faced by her profession.
She also raised allegations of "sexual violence" committed by an ORTC executive against women journalists at the national television station. “We let these perpetrators know that they will hear from us, and we stand on the side of the victims,” proclaimed Abouheir during her speech.
In response, the Comorian president stated that the journalists had the right to file a complaint if the allegations were true. However, instead of conducting an independent investigation into the allegations of sexual violence, the authorities chose to pursue legal action against the journalists who reported the incidents.
Following the filing of the complaint against her, in February Abouheir was questioned by police for three hours before being released.
These charges brought against the journalists are acts of intimidation. Despite adopting a new Information Code in 2021, journalists in Comoros are frequently summoned or threatened with legal action.
In July 2020, Andjouza Abouheir faced legal threats following the publication of an investigation into the country's first cases of COVID-19.
The ongoing legal proceedings have shifted attention away from the issue of alleged sexual violence. No formal complaints have been made by the victims, which is a common occurrence due to fear of job loss. The prevalence of sexism and assault against women in the journalistic field is a cause for concern, and both authorities and newsrooms must take necessary measures to protect women journalists.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism urges the courts to dismiss these unfounded charges against Andjouza Abouheir and her colleagues. We call on authorities to instead focus their energy on investigating allegations of sexual abuse of women journalists working for the broadcaster.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.