(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the arrest of two journalists in Freetown. According to RSF’s information, Jonathan Leigh, the editor of the “Independent Observer”, was arrested on 17 May 1999 at 11 a.m. (local time) at the newspaper’s office. Four ECOMOG (West African peacekeeping force) soldiers came to have a discussion with him and then […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the arrest of two journalists in Freetown.
According to RSF’s information, Jonathan Leigh, the editor of the
“Independent Observer”, was arrested on 17 May 1999 at 11 a.m. (local time)
at the newspaper’s office. Four ECOMOG (West African peacekeeping force)
soldiers came to have a discussion with him and then took him to the ECOMOG
headquarters in Cockeril North. According to an Ecomog officer, the
journalist was arrested because of an article which criticised the West
African peacekeeping force and certain Nigerian soldiers’ cultural
observances.
RSF is also concerned by the situation of Joseph Mboka, the editor of “The
Democrat” newspaper. On 18 May, he was arrested because of an article he had
published concerning fighting in the town of Kabala (in the northern part of
the country).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to ECOMOG’s press information officer:
release him if he is being detained because of a press offence, without
commenting on the content of the allegedly incriminating article
an article is wrong, but stressing that the organisation should not bring
journalists before courts for merely using their right to inform
inter-state organisation, is obliged to respect the engagements taken by all
the countries which constitute Ecowas, and particularly the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 19 of which protects press
freedom and the right to inform
Appeals To
A. Chris Olukolade
Lieutenant-Colonel Chief Military
Press Information Officer
ECOMOG Headquarters
Freetown , Sierra Leone
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
