Media advocacy group, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), has condemned the suspension of call-in shows on a leading private radio station in the West African nation of Togo.

The country’s Broadcast and Communications High Authority (HAAC) has accused radio station Légende FM of “inciting racial and ethnic hate” on its call-in shows segment.

And on July 17, a magistrate in Lomé ordered the private radio station to stop broadcasting its call-in shows segment as a result of the HAAC’s complaint.

Guy Mario, Légende FM's news director, has reportedly said that the station is being punished for shows aired in June, in which callers phoned in to voice their criticisms of the violent crackdown by security forces on anti-government protesters in Lomé.

Thousands of protesters have clashed with security forces ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled in October, according to news reports.

“We condemn the suspension of all call-in programs of Légende FM as an act of censorship of commentary critical of the government,” said CPJ Africa advocacy coordinator Mohamed Keita from New York.

“The station should be allowed to resume broadcasting immediately, and authorities must stop censoring outlets that allow critical voices to be heard.”