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＜事件 No：　SLE 001 / 0805 / OBS 061＞
掲載日：2005.08.01

No.3751シェラレオネ
ジャーナリスト兼人権活動家が
国会議員の雇った暴力団に暴行を受け、死亡しました。

（パリ･ジュネーブ発　08月03日）

　「国際人権連盟」(FIDH）と「SOSトーチャー」の共同プロジェクトである「人権擁護家保護のための監視機構」は、シェラレオネにおける下記の状況に関して、皆様の働きかけをお願いします。

＜事件の概要＞

　人権擁護家のための監視機構は、良心フォーラムより、独立系新聞“人民のために”の編集長代理であり、アムネスティ・インターナショナル・シェラレオネ支部および全国人権同盟のメンバーであったハリー・ヤンサネさんの死について情報を受けました。

　情報によれば、2005年5月10日、ハリー・ヤンサネさんはフリータウンにある彼のオフィスで、雇われたとされる暴力団と、与党シェラレオネ人民党(SLPP)所属の国会議員であり、新しく任命された西アフリカ諸国経済共同体（ECOWAS）の議会メンバーであり、かつ“人民のために”が入居しているビルの家主であるファトマタ・ハッサンの家族に暴行を受けました。彼ら一団はヤンサネさんに殺しの脅しをかけ、殴る蹴るの乱暴を働き、大量出血させました。彼らはまた、その部屋に10年間入居していた新聞社を強制的に追い出そうとして、事務機器を壊しました。これらは、新聞社が折に触れ政府批判を行っていたために起きたといわれています。

　事件当日に、ヤンサネさんは警察医から手当てを受けましたが、数週間後に病状が悪化したため、6月初め、フリータウンのキューピッド病院に8日間入院しました。その後、7月18日に再入院をし、7月28日亡くなりました。死因は公表されていませんが、ハリー・ヤンサネさんは、恐らく殴打による負傷が元で腎臓障害を起こし、それによって死亡したと報告されています。

　暴行を受けた後、ヤンサネさんはフリータウンの中央警察に正式に被害届けを出し、事件から約1週間後、シェラレオネ・ジャーナリスト協会は、シェラレオネ・オンブズマンであるフランシス・ガビンドンさんに正式に提訴しました。オンブズマンはすぐさま事件を議会の議長に付託し、スピーディーな調査と適切な対応をするよう申し渡しました。しかし、シェラレオネの法律に従っても、すでに裁判所に持ち込まれていなくてはならないはずなのに、警察も当局も必要な措置を怠りました。

　情報によれば、2005年8月1日、ファトマタ・ハッサンさんは、シェラレオネ警察の刑事調査部（CID） に呼ばれ、ハリー･ヤンサネさんの死亡を取り巻く情況について陳述書を書かされましたが、その後、彼女は保釈されています。1965年の法律執行官法、第2条9項によれば、警察は議員から事情聴取する場合、その前にまず検事総長に報告しなくてはなりません。

＜行動要請＞

　シェラレオネ関係当局に以下の要請をお願いします。

  1. 犯人を特定し、裁判に付し、犯罪の重さに応じた判決が言い渡されるよう、ハリー・ヤンサネさんの死について、公正、中立で独立した調査を実施すること。
  2. ハリー・ヤンサネさんの家族が適切な補償を受けられるよう保障すること。
  3. あらゆる情況下、シェラレオネのすべての人権擁護活動家の心身の安全を保障すること。
  4. 1998年12月9日国連総会が採択した「人権擁護家の保護に関する宣言」に従うこと。とりわけ、すべての人は、人権と基本的自由を国内および国際レベルで促進および保護する権利を、個別におよび集団的に所有する」とした第１条、「何人も、人権および基本的自由の侵害に関わる個々の政府職員あるいは政府機関の政策や行動について、嘆願書あるいはその他適切な手段にて、管轄の国内司法、行政あるいは立法当局に、あるいは国家の法体系により資格を与えられていて、不合理な遅延なく決定を下せるその他の当局に訴える権利を有するとして9条3 (a)、そして「国家は、この宣言に掲げられた権利を正当に行使した結果としてのあらゆる暴力、脅迫、報復、事実上のあるいは法律上の敵意に満ちた差別、圧力、あるいはその他のあらゆる恣意的な行為に反対し、すべての者を、個々にまたは他の者と共同して、権限ある当局によって確実に保護するための、すべての必要な措置をとるべきである」とした12条2項に従うこと。
  5. いかなる情況にあろうとも、シェラレオネが批准した国際人権基準と国際人権文書に基づき、人権尊重と基本的自由を保障すること。

＜要請先＞

大統領：Mr. Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Minister of Defence, President Lodge, Hill Station, Freetown, Republic of Sierra Leone, Tel: +232-22-232101/+232 22 234 004, Fax: + 232 22 231 404/234 004, Email: info@statehouse-sl.org

外務国際協力大臣, Mr. Momodu Koroma, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Freetown, Republic of Sierra Leone, Fax: + 232 22 225 615

情報大臣：Prof. Septimus M. Kaikai, Minister of Information, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Fax: + 232 22 235512, Tel + 232 22 240 911

検事総長兼法務大臣：Mr. F.M. Carew, Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Guma Building, Freetown, Republic of Sierra Leone, Tel: + 232 22 229 303, Fax: c/o President Fax

オンブズマン：Mr. Francis A Gabbidon, Ombudsman, Government of Sierra Leone, 84 Dundas Street, Freetown, Republic of Sierra Leone, Fax: + 232 22 224 509/224 439

国連大使：Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in New York, 245 East 49th Street, New York, NY 10017, USA, Tel:+ 212 688 1656/6748, Fax:+ 212 688 49 24, Email：sierraleone@un.int or sierraleonemission@verizon.net.


＜手紙の例文＞

例文を添付いたします。手紙を出されるときにご活用ください。

Mr. Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Minister of Defence
President Lodge, Hill Station, Freetown
Republic of Sierra Leone

Dear President Kabbah,

I am writing you about the death of Mr.Harry Yansaneh, former Acting Editor of the independent newspaper For di people, member of the Sierra Leone Chapter of Amnesty International and of the National League for Human Rights.

I would like to urge you the followings:

  1. To conduct a fair, impartial and independent inquiry into Mr. Harry Yansaneh's death, in order to identify the perpetrators, bring them to justice and pronounce sentences proportional to the gravity of their crime;
  2. To ensure that Mr. Harry Yansaneh's family receives adequate compensation;
  3. To guarantee under all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of all human rights defenders in Sierra Leone;
  4. To comply with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular its article 1, which states that "everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels", its article 9.3 (a), which provides that everyone has the right "to complain about the policies and actions of individual officials and governmental bodies with regard to violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, by petition or other appropriate means, to competent domestic judicial, administrative or legislative authorities or any other competent authority provided for by the legal system of the State, which should render their decision on the complaint without undue delay", and its article 12.2, which states that "the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration";
  5. To ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by the Republic of Sierra Leone.

I thank you for your kind attention to my request.


Yours very truly,

＜以下、原文＞
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
SLE 001 / 0805 / OBS 061
Assault / Death
Sierra Leone

August 3, 2005

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Sierra Leone.

Brief description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by the Forum of Conscience (FOC) about the death of Mr. Harry Yansaneh, former Acting Editor of the independent newspaper For di people, member of the Sierra Leone Chapter of Amnesty International and of the National League for Human Rights.

According to the information received, on May 10, 2005, Mr. Harry Yansaneh was beaten in his office in Freetown by a group of allegedly hired thugs and family members of Mrs. Fatmata Hassan, a Member of Parliament for the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), a newly appointed member of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as landlady of the building housing For di people. The group reportedly threatened to kill Mr. Yansaneh, and violently beat him, which resulted in excessive bleeding. They also vandalised the equipment of For di people when they sought to forcibly evict the newspaper from the office it had occupied over the last ten years. These events reportedly took place because of the criticism of the government the newspaper had regularly made.

On May 11, 2005, Mr. Yansaneh received medical treatment from the police doctor, but his health deteriorated a few weeks after. In early June he was admitted for eight days at the Cupid Hospital, in Freetown, and again on July 18, 2005, where he died on July 28, 2005. Although the official report on the reason for his death has not been made public yet, Mr. Harry Yansaneh reportedly died of kidney problems, probably due to complications from injuries sustained from his beating.

After his assault, Mr. Harry Yansaneh made a formal report to the Central Police Station in Freetown, and about a week after these events the Sierra Leone Association of journalist (SLAJ) made a formal complaint to the Ombudsman of Sierra Leone, Mr. Francis Gabidon, who referred the matter to the Speaker of Parliament for speedy investigation and appropriate actions. However, either the police or authorities failed to take necessary actions, although according to laws of Sierra Leone, the matter should have already been brought to Court.

According to the information received, on August 1, 2005, Mrs. Fatmata Hassan was invited by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Sierra Leone Police to make a statement on the circumstances surrounding Mr. Harry Yansaneh's death, after which she was given police bail. According to the Law Officers Act of 1965 section 2 subsection 9, the Police had to inform the Attorney General before inviting the Parliamentarian.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities of Sierra Leone and ask them to:

  1. Conduct a fair, impartial and independent inquiry into Mr. Harry Yansaneh's death, in order to identify the perpetrators, bring them to justice and pronounce sentences proportional to the gravity of their crime;
  2. Ensure that Mr. Harry Yansaneh's family receives adequate compensation;
  3. Guarantee under all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of all human rights defenders in Sierra Leone;
  4. Comply with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular its article 1, which states that "everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels", its article 9.3 (a), which provides that everyone has the right "to complain about the policies and actions of individual officials and governmental bodies with regard to violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, by petition or other appropriate means, to competent domestic judicial, administrative or legislative authorities or any other competent authority provided for by the legal system of the State, which should render their decision on the complaint without undue delay", and its article 12.2, which states that "the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration";
  5. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by the Republic of Sierra Leone.

Addresses:

  • Mr. Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Minister of Defence, President Lodge, Hill Station, Freetown, Republic of Sierra Leone, Tel: +232-22-232101 / + 232 22 234 004; Fax : + 232 22 231 404 / 234 004, Email: info@statehouse-sl.org
  • Mr. Momodu Koroma, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Freetown, Republic of Sierra Leone, Fax: + 232 22 225 615
  • Prof. Septimus M. Kaikai, Minister of Information, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: Fax: + 232 22 235512, Tel: + 232 22 240 911
  • Mr. F.M. Carew, Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Guma Building, Freetown, Republic of Sierra Leone, Tel: + 232 22 229 303, Fax: c/o President Fax
  • Mr. Francis A Gabbidon, Ombudsman, Government of Sierra Leone, 84 Dundas Street, Freetown, Republic of Sierra Leone, Fax: + 232 22 224 509 / 224 439
  • Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in New York, 245 East 49th Street - New York, NY 10017, USA, Tel: + 212 688 1656 / 6748; Fax: + 212 688 49 24, Email: sierraleone@un.int or sierraleonemission@verizon.net.

Please also write to the embassies of the Republic of Sierra Leone in your respective country.

***

Geneva-Paris, August 3, 2005