Burkina Faso: Ruling junta suspends French broadcaster TV5 for spreading “disinformation”
The ruling military junta in Burkina Faso has suspended French broadcaster TV5 for six months for spreading “disinformation.”
The Burkinabe’s communications regulator (CSC) faulted the channel for spreading “malicious insinuations” and “disinformation” about the country’s transitional government.
The CSC reprimanded the station for hosting Newton Ahmed Barry, a critic of the junta who was the head of the election commission from 2014 to 2021.
It also slapped a punishment of 50 million CFAs ($82,000) for the misconduct.
This is the second time that the outlet will be suspended. It was axed for two weeks on April 28 after broadcasting a report by Human Rights Watch that accused the military of killing civilians.
The regulator had earlier suspended French newspaper Le Monde, British publication The Guardian, and German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW).
Several international news organisations, mainly French, have been closed down for a short period of time or permanently since Captain Ibrahim Traore took over the country in a coup in September 2022.
