The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has expressed issues over what it stated seems to be a coordinated authorized marketing campaign aimed toward harassing, intimidating, and silencing journalists in Rivercess County.
PUL, in a launch on the weekend below the signature of its President Julius Kanubah, condemned “the calculated detention and ongoing judicial persecution” of journalists Eric Opa Doue and Methuselah Gaye, describing it as a blatant abuse of judicial authority.
The Union referred to as on Affiliate Justice of the Peace Debah Zuku Debah of the Yarpah City Magisterial Courtroom, and each Affiliate Justice of the Peace Dixon Yeahgar and Stipendiary Justice of the Peace Colston Flemming of the Cestos Metropolis Magisterial Courtroom to stop all types of harassment and illegal detention of the 2 journalists.
“Since Wednesday, 13 August 2025, with none type of authorized illustration, the journalists have been subjected to 2 separate however closest comparable arrest warrants and despatched to jail,” the assertion learn.
In accordance with the Union, the primary warrant issued by Justice of the Peace Debah, fees them with “Prison Contempt of Courtroom” for allegedly publishing “false, deceptive, and unfounded data” on social media that questioned the integrity of the Yarpah City Magisterial Courtroom.
“The reporting in query linked the Courtroom to alleged bribery within the launch of police officer Ojuku Weeks, who it had been reported was arrested by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Company (LDEA) for possession of narcotics,” it stated.
“The second warrant, issued by Justice of the Peace Yeahgar, fees them with “Prison Coercion”, a case introduced on the request of the identical police officer (Ojuku Weeks) appearing as a personal prosecutor, successfully following up on the sooner contempt allegation,” the assertion additional stated.
PUL stated the journalists in query acknowledged that the naming of police officer Ojuku of their reporting was primarily based on accounts of their sources, however a retraction was made as soon as it turned clear the arrested drug suspect was Morris Doe, as an alternative.
PUL President Kanubah expressed outrage over what he described as “a strategically orchestrated assault on the press by a community of judicial and state actors in Rivercess County.”
“We’re deeply disturbed that, regardless of the decriminalization of free speech offenses via the enact of the Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act of Press Freedom and Liberia’s formal dedication to the Declaration of Desk Mountain—which requires the elimination of felony defamation legal guidelines—a gaggle of judicial and state actors seems decided to misuse felony provisions of judicial legal guidelines to punish journalists for his or her work. That is an abuse of judicial energy and a harmful retreat from Liberia’s obligations to guard press freedom,” he added.
The PUL can also be alarmed by studies that the Cestos Magisterial Courtroom imposed extreme bail of 60,000 Liberian {Dollars} (roughly USD 300) on every journalist, a punitive measure in a county the place poverty is widespread.
It stated whereas Methuselah Gaye secured non permanent launch after spending the night time of Thursday, 14 August 2025, in jail and posting bail with out authorized counsel, Eric Opa Doue was taken to jail on Friday, 15 August 2025, at Cestos Jail, unable to instantly pay the money bond.
It stated: “Such extreme bail coupled with the questionable refusal of the Public Defender Abraham Nyounway to signify and signal for every of the journalists, the PUL notes, successfully criminalizes journalism and units a harmful precedent for journalists in rural areas, who already function in environments rife with political interference and systemic abuse of authority.”
Though Eric was launched on early Saturday, 16 August 2025, after spending an evening in jail, the Union needs the purging of all felony fees towards them and urges all people and establishments with grievances about media reporting to make use of applicable authorized and regulatory channels, reasonably than weaponizing the courts to punish journalists and suppress journalism.
The PUL urged judicial actors to uphold due course of, safeguard freedom of expression, and respect the press as a vital pillar of Liberia’s democracy.
