(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 28 July 1998, two people believed to be plainclothes policemen attempted to impound copies of a bi-weekly Nairobi newspaper, “The Star”, and threatened to shoot a staff photographer who took photographs during the incident. **For background, see IFEX alerts of 24, 23, 17, 15 and 14 July 1998** Sources said the two […]
(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 28 July 1998, two people believed to be plainclothes
policemen attempted to impound copies of a bi-weekly Nairobi newspaper, “The
Star”, and
threatened to shoot a staff photographer who took photographs during the
incident.
**For background, see IFEX alerts of 24, 23, 17, 15 and 14 July 1998**
Sources said the two went to the newspaper offices, situated along Haile
Selassie Avenue, at around 9:30 a.m. (local time). They attempted to impound
copies of the newspaper from a newsstand in front of the offices, but they
were challenged by the staff and members of the general public, who asked
that they identify themselves and say what their mission was. They refused
to identify themselves, and in the ensuing commotion, one of them drew a gun
and threatened to shoot the photographer. They left the scene, but half an
hour later, a truck with some men on board emerged and hijacked a guard
hired by the newspaper. By the time of the filing of this report, no news
of his whereabouts had been received.
Sources also told NDIMA that reporters for “The Star”, especially those
working in Eldoret (a town in the southwestern province of Rift Valley), had
received death threats on the telephone. Vendors in Nairobi were also
harassed by people believed to be security agents.
