The decriminalisation of press offences is announced in Gabon, following a cabinet meeting held on 11 August 2015, chaired by the head of state, Ali Bongo Ondimba. The decision was mentioned in the final communiqué at the end of the session, reports the Gabonese press agency (AGP).

The text indicates: “This order mainly in the decriminalisation of press offences, taking into account online medias and the identification of the different players in the communication sector”. The stated objective is to equip Gabon with a modern legal framework, tied to international standards. Indeed, the Gabonese Penal Code still provides for prison sentences for certain violations, as well as fines. These are the provisions which keeping the editorial director of the weekly “Nku’u le Messager”, Norbert Ngoua Mezui in prison since October 2006.

The decriminalisation of the violations is an old request submitted every year by journalists, during the celebration of the World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May. During the 2015 edition, the minister of Communication, Denise Mekam’ne, had declared that a bill was under review by the government.

The late president Omar Bongo had given his agreement to the decriminalisation of press offences in Gabon in 2003, during the convention of the francophone press. But the words were never followed by actual deeds.