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Senegalese authorities arrested 7TV Director Maimouna Ndour Faye and others in a late October media crackdown, prompting condemnation from CDEPS and CPJ over press freedom violations.Summary
DAKAR—Senegal’s press freedom came under sharp scrutiny this week after authorities arrested 7TV Director General Maimouna Ndour Faye and several journalists during a sweeping media crackdown on October 28–29, 2025. The raids targeted private broadcasters 7TV and RFM, both of which had aired interviews with a politician wanted by authorities.
According to the Council of Broadcasters and Press Publishers of Senegal (CDEPS), gendarmes stormed 7TV’s studio during a live broadcast with journalist Madiambal Diagne, arresting Faye on the spot. CDEPS condemned what it called a “blatant and unacceptable violation” of press freedom and the public’s right to information, describing the incident as a “serious intrusion into a media establishment.”
The organization stated that the operation had no legal basis and violated both the Senegalese Constitution and international treaties that guarantee freedom of expression, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“Journalism is not a crime,” CDEPS declared, demanding that authorities immediately ensure the protection of journalists and uphold democratic principles. It also urged citizens to oppose ongoing efforts to silence the private media sector.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also called for the “immediate release” of those detained, describing the arrests as a direct assault on press freedom. “Senegalese authorities must immediately release the two journalists still in custody — Maimouna Ndour Faye and Bamba Touré,” said CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative, Moussa Ngom.
As of October 29, Faye and Touré, a 7TV studio operator, remained in custody. Three other RFM journalists, Managing Editor Babacar Fall, studio operator Abdou Thiam, and reporter Cheikh Tidiane Diagne, were detained but later released.
Fall, arrested after interviewing Diagne, faced accusations of spreading false news, concealing a criminal, and compromising state security. He was released the same evening, and his case was dismissed, according to local reporters.
Videos from the scene show gendarmes disconnecting 7TV’s live transmission mid-broadcast. The station’s TV signal, along with that of TFM, RFM’s sister channel, went off air but remained accessible online and through private distributor Canal Plus.
CPJ said its calls to the Gendarmerie and Senegal’s media regulator went unanswered. CDEPS announced it would urgently convene its governing council to determine next steps in response to what it described as “unacceptable attacks” on the country’s media freedom.
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