Liberia

**Updates IFEX alert of 21 August 2000** (CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a CPJ press release: New York, August 22, 2000 – A four-man television news crew from Britain’s Channel Four, in Liberian police custody since last Friday, was indicted yesterday, August 21, on espionage charges. Liberian authorities claim the journalists entered the country to […]

(IPI/IFEX) – In a 21 August 2000 letter to Liberian President Charles Taylor, IPI strongly condemned the arrest of four foreign TV journalists in Liberia. According to IPI’s information, Britons David Barrie and Timothy Lambon, South African Gugulakhe Radebe and Sierra Leonean Somoura Sorious were arrested in their hotel rooms in Monrovia on 18 August. […]

(IPI/IFEX) – In a 17 July 2000 letter to Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor, IPI has condemned the latest acts of intimidation and harassment by the Liberian authorities against the “New Democrat” newspaper. According to the information before IPI, staff members at the “New Democrat” newspaper have been subjected to repeated threats from government officials […]

In a 17 March 2000 letter to President Charles G. Taylor, CPJ condemned the recent illegal closure of the privately-owned stations Star Radio and Radio Veritas. During the morning of 15 March, heavily armed police officers under the command of Director of Police Paul Mulbah occupied the Star Radio compound in Monrovia and sealed its […]

The following is a 15 March 2000 CPJ press release: Liberia: Two Radio Stations Closed New York, March 15, 2000 — Citing public security concerns, the Liberian government shut down the privately owned Star Radio station and suspended Radio Veritas, a religious station owned by the Catholic Church. A statement from the office of President […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 30 December 1999 letter to Minister of Justice Eddington Varmah, RSF protested the arrest of Sarkilay Kantan and Isaac Menyongai, news editor and reporter, respectively, with the private bi-weekly “Concord Times”. RSF asked the minister to secure their immediate release, and to lift arrest warrants against four other journalists of this […]

(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) – In an “administrative decision” issued 8 September 1998, the Ministry of Labour ordered Star Radio administrator Dr. Jeanette Carter and station manager George Bennett to cease working on grounds that, as foreign nationals, they are illegally employed. Carter and Bennett are subject to deportation because they have refused to pay fines amounting to […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The Ministry of Labour has informed Star Radio employees Jeanette Carter and George Bennett that they are illegally employed. Foreign nationals Carter and Bennett continue to be officially prohibited from working. **Updates IFEX alerts of 28 October and 27 October 1998** The Ministry of Labour informed the censored journalists that they must first […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is the 23 October 1998 Liberian government press release announcing the withdrawal of Star Radio short-wave frequencies: **Further to IFEX alert of 27 October** Republic of Liberia Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications Monrovia, Liberia PRESS RELEASE MONROVIA, OCTOBER 23, 1998: The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications says it has withdrawn with […]

The following is the text of the letter from the Ministry of Information demanding the cessation of Internet postings and the submission of program logs. This letter was addressed to all members of the local press. **Updates IFEX alerts of 20 October 1998** Republic of Liberia Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism 110 U.N. Drive […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – In a press release dated 23 October 1998, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications announced it had withdrawn, effective immediately, the short-wave frequencies assigned to Star Radio. The station subsequently ceased broadcasting on its 3.400MHZ and 5.888MHZ channels. The government’s withdrawal of Star Radio’s short-wave frequencies follows an official request for the broadcaster […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – In a letter issued on 14 October 1998, the Ministry of Information announced a government ban ordering local media to immediately cease posting information on the Internet. The order stated that television and radio stations were operating news agencies online without a permit and “running un-authenticated newspaper articles and gossip columns.” The letter […]

(IPI/IFEX) – According to IPI, on 15 April 1998, the Liberian Ministry of Information finally granted “The New Democrat” newspaper a permit to resume publishing. **Updates IFEX alerts of 20 February 1998 and 1 May 1996** The weekly existed and was registered with the Ministry of Information before the destruction of its offices in April […]

(CPJ/IFEX)- On 27 December 1997, Al-Jerome Chede, producer and announcer for the privately owned Radio Monrovia (FM 98.7) call-in shows “Issues in the Press” and “Press Fire”, fled Liberia with his wife Melissa Chede after an attempted kidnapping on 26 November 1997. The attempted kidnapping was the latest in a string of press freedom violations […]

(IPI/IFEX) – IPI is concerned about the Liberian government’s continued refusal to give the “New Democrat Weekly” a permit to resume publishing. The “New Democrat Weekly” existed and was registered with the Ministry of Information before the destruction of the newspaper’s offices in April 1996, which occurred when leaders of the warring factions competing for […]