Togo
09.02.00
Urgent Interventions
Release
URGENT APPEAL- OBSERVATORY
New Information
TGO 001 / 0200 / OBS 004.01
Release
TOGO
9th February 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Defenders of Human Rights, a join programme of FIDH and OMCT, was informed of the release of two defenders of human rights.
New Information :
MM. Tetevi Norbert Gbikpi-Benissan, Secretary General of the Union Nationale des Syndicats Indépendants du Togo (UNSIT), and Pierre Alaga-Kodegui, Secretary General of the Fédération des Travailleurs de l'Enseignement (FETREN) were released on 4th February 2000.
They were released following a request fomulated by the Chief of State who, according to a communiqué read out on television by the Ministry of Public Affairs in the evening of 3rd February, asked the National Ministry of Education to withdraw his complaint which was the basis for the arrest of the two perons mentioned above.
The Observatory wishes to thank all persons and organisation who intervened in favour of these cases.
Brief reminder of the facts :
The Observatory was informed by various sources, including the WFTU a member of the OMCT, of the arrest, on January 28th 2000 of two trade-union leaders, MM. Tetevi Norbert Gbikpi-Benissan, Secretary General of the Union Nationale des Syndicats Indépendants du Togo (UNSIT), and Pierre Alaga-Kodegui, Secretary General of the Fédération des Travailleurs de l'Enseignement (FETREN).
According to information received these persons are allegedly accused of "propagating false information" and were immediately taken to the prison of Lomé.
The Observatory fears that the arrest of the above mentioned persons is due to their activities in defence of the fundamental rights and liberties of the workers. It also fears that their physical safety and integrity may be seriously jeopardized.
Geneva-Paris 9th February 2000
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line :
Fax : +033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel : FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11
OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
email : observatoire@iprolink.ch
New Information
TGO 001 / 0200 / OBS 004.01
Release
TOGO
9th February 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Defenders of Human Rights, a join programme of FIDH and OMCT, was informed of the release of two defenders of human rights.
New Information :
MM. Tetevi Norbert Gbikpi-Benissan, Secretary General of the Union Nationale des Syndicats Indépendants du Togo (UNSIT), and Pierre Alaga-Kodegui, Secretary General of the Fédération des Travailleurs de l'Enseignement (FETREN) were released on 4th February 2000.
They were released following a request fomulated by the Chief of State who, according to a communiqué read out on television by the Ministry of Public Affairs in the evening of 3rd February, asked the National Ministry of Education to withdraw his complaint which was the basis for the arrest of the two perons mentioned above.
The Observatory wishes to thank all persons and organisation who intervened in favour of these cases.
Brief reminder of the facts :
The Observatory was informed by various sources, including the WFTU a member of the OMCT, of the arrest, on January 28th 2000 of two trade-union leaders, MM. Tetevi Norbert Gbikpi-Benissan, Secretary General of the Union Nationale des Syndicats Indépendants du Togo (UNSIT), and Pierre Alaga-Kodegui, Secretary General of the Fédération des Travailleurs de l'Enseignement (FETREN).
According to information received these persons are allegedly accused of "propagating false information" and were immediately taken to the prison of Lomé.
The Observatory fears that the arrest of the above mentioned persons is due to their activities in defence of the fundamental rights and liberties of the workers. It also fears that their physical safety and integrity may be seriously jeopardized.
Geneva-Paris 9th February 2000
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line :
Fax : +033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel : FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11
OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
email : observatoire@iprolink.ch