I need your support. Please, please help.
Thomas Dandois is a young freelance journalist and photographer currently employed by Camicas Productions to compile a report for European TV station ARTE on the situation in the Republic of Niger. He and his companion, Pierre Creisson, were arrested on Monday 17 December after being followed by security services into the northern part of the country where they had gone to interview leaders of a rebel group, the Movement of Niger People for Justice (MNJ).
The reason for the MNJ's uprising are complex but the truth needs the sort of investigative experience that Tom and Pierre can bring to bear. Both have reported in the past from places we've all heard of: Darfur, Chad, Zimbabwe. To learn more, Google "Thomas Dandois".
They are imprisoned in the Niger capital, Niamey. Last Friday they were formally accused of "intelligence with armed groups" for ignoring the ban on journalists visiting the north of the country. We now understand that they could face the death penalty.
The two freely admit that they ignored the ban. They have written an letter to the Niger President, Mamadou Tandja, admitting their mistake and apologising. They appreciate that they have trespassed on the goodwill of a democratic country, BUT we believe that they should be treated with the respect that should be accorded to men doing an honest, necessary and very dangerous job. If people like Tom and Pierre did not take risks, we would know nothing of the horrors of places like Zimbabwe and Darfur.
Tom's a hell of a good guy. If you want to imagine it, the job he does is just like Maddy Bowen's in Blood Diamonds.
Tom is my first cousin, Carolyn's son. His grandmother, who is 92, lives here in the village with us. We are all worried sick about him. Tom has dual nationality, French and British, and is a British citizen holding a British passport. We want the British government to take an interest in him - to date, HMG appears to have done nothing. PLEASE -
(1) Copy the letter you'll find as the download "TomDandois_MP" on the 'Publications' page on my website JonHaylett and send it to your MP at The House of Commons. If you don't know who he/she is, use the site Writetothem - find this at Writetothem.
(2) Write to the Foreign Secretary using the download "TomDandois_F&C" on the 'Publications' page of my website, and send it to The Rt Hon David Miliband at the Foreign and & Commonwealth Office.
Both these letters can be 'copied' then 'pasted' into Word, and have the necessary addresses. In addition, anything you can do to personalise the letter would be appreciated.
(3) Go to our site 'Freedom for Thomas Dandois' on Facebook and give your support there.
(4) Email your MP. You can do this at the site 'Write to Them' at Writetothem
With my sincere thanks for anything you do.
My printer's down at the moment John, so I'll get onto to this first thing monday morning when I'm in the office and copy and send the letter from your website. best regards, Gary.
Posted by: Gary Davison | January 04, 2008 at 07:22 PM
How about Amnesty International, Jon?
www.amnesty.org.uk/
I'm not a member, but this seems to be the sort of case they represent and might swing one of their campaigns behind.
Posted by: Paul | January 04, 2008 at 11:45 PM
Paul, Gary - many thanks for your support.
Yes, will approach Amnesty. The trouble, I fear, is that Tom was warned by the Niger govt not to go north, and deliberately disobeyed. That's what they have to do in order to go into these places.
Jon
Posted by: Jon Haylett | January 05, 2008 at 03:59 PM
Jon, I've tried downloading the letter about Thomas Dandois but I can't. not sure if it's the link or my computer. i'll try again from my computer at home. best regards, Gary
Posted by: Gary Davison | January 10, 2008 at 01:48 PM