A special court in N’Djamena has denied a request for the provisional release of three journalists detained since March 2025 over alleged ties to the Russian mercenary group Wagner.

Monodji Mbaidiguim Olivier, Mahamat Saleh Hisseine, and Ndilyam Alladoum are facing serious charges, including espionage, conspiracy, and endangering state security—offences that carry sentences of up to five years.

The trio is among 16 journalists implicated in the case, though only these three remain in pre-trial detention. The case has drawn widespread condemnation from rights groups.

Human Rights Watch has criticized the prolonged detention, calling it a breach of international human rights norms and a worrying sign of increasing media repression in Chad.