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December 10, 1998
H.E. Charles Taylor
President of the Republic of Liberia
Monrovia, Liberia
Your Excellency:
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is greatly alarmed by the
November 23, 1998, assaults on journalists and the vandalism of the
Sabannoh Printing Press committed by a group of individuals identified
as former combatants in the ongoing conflict in the country, and the
failure of government security guards and police, who were present during
the incident, to intervene to stop the assaults and destruction of property.
In addition, CPJ is disturbed by the harassment of J. Kpanquor Jallah,
Jr., a reporter for the independent newspaper Heritage, who police
detained at the scene while the crimes were in process.
The assailants stormed the Sabannoh Printing Press, assaulted journalists,
destroyed copies of the independent Inquirer and TheNews
newspapers, and vandalized the printing press machinery. The attack
was in response to a November 21, 1998, story published in the Heritage
newspaper, titled "Ex-Fighters Plan Mass Demonstration," which reported
that former combatants had planned to demonstrate to demand that they
receive benefits from the government. The Sabannoh Printing Press is
also the printer for Heritage.
According to CPJ sources, neither government security guards posted
at the printing press nor armed police officers who arrived on the scene
intervened to stop the assaults on journalists and Sabannoh employees
or the vandalism. Police did, however, detain Jallah, who wrote the
offending article. The journalist was released after colleagues demanded
that police produce a warrant for his arrest, which they did not possess.
Mr. Ngabe, a journalist for TheNews, received a deep laceration
on his back during the attack. CPJ sources also report that he was pointed
out as a journalist to the attackers by a government security guard
assigned to protect the printing press.
As an organization of journalists dedicated to the defense of our colleagues
around the world, CPJ strongly protests these violent attacks. The failure of
law enforcement personnel to intervene sends a chilling message of approbation
to those who would use violence against journalists. These incidents constitute
a flagrant violation of journalists' right to report the news as guaranteed by
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 9 of the
African Charter on Human and People's Rights, all to which, we respectfully
remind Your Excellency, Liberia is a signatory.
CPJ strongly urges you to ensure that journalists' right to report the news is
respected in Liberia, and to instruct law enforcement personnel to uphold the
law when journalists are attacked.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We welcome your reply.
Sincerely,
Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director
Join CPJ in Protesting Attacks on
the Press in Canada
Send a letter to:
H.E. Charles Taylor
President of the Republic of Liberia
Monrovia, Liberia
VIA FAX: 011-231-22-7872
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