Journalists attacked, printing press vandalised, reporter harassed

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 23 November 1998, a group of former combatants in the on-going conflict in the country stormed the Sabannoh Printing Press, attacked journalists and Sabannoh employees, destroyed copies of the independent “Inquirer” and “The News” newspapers, and vandalized printing machinery. The attack was in response to a 21 November front-page story published in […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 23 November 1998, a group of former combatants in the
on-going conflict in the country stormed the Sabannoh Printing Press,
attacked journalists and Sabannoh employees, destroyed copies of the
independent “Inquirer” and “The News” newspapers, and vandalized printing
machinery.

The attack was in response to a 21 November front-page story published in
the “Heritage” newsaper, titled “Ex-Fighters Plan Mass Demonstration”, which
claimed that former combatants had planned to demonstrate to demand that
benefits be paid to them by the government. The Sabannoh Printing Press is
also the printer for the “Heritage” newspaper.

J. Kpanquor Jallah, Jr., the “Heritage” reporter who wrote the story, was
briefly detained at the scene by police. The journalist was released after
colleagues demanded that the police produce a warrant for his arrest, which
they did not possess.

Mr. Nagbe, a journalist with “The News”, received a deep laceration on his
back during the attack. He reportedly was pointed out as a journalist to
the attackers by a security guard assigned to protect the printing press.

CPJ sources report that neither government security guards, posted at
Sabannoh since the commencement of the 18 September fighting in Monrovia,
nor the armed police officers who arrived on the scene, intervened to stop
the vandalism or assaults on journalists and Sabannoh employees.

Appeals To

H.E. Charles Taylor

President of the Republic of Liberia

Monrovia, Liberia

c/o public fax at Telecom +231 225217

In the United States:
H.E. Charles Taylor

President of the Republic of Liberia

c/o Embassy of Liberia

5303 Colorodo Avenue NW

Washington, DC  20011

Fax: 202-723-0436

e-mail: liberia-embassy@msn.com

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