Vienna — 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 and security personnel. These threats come at a time when the government is accusing the newspaper's journalists of placing information on the Internet which is "detrimental" to the country's reputation. Due to the government's intimidation, all advertising in the paper has been stopped and potential advertisers have been warned by the government not to do business with the newspaper.
As a consequence of the attacks and loss of advertising revenue, the newspaper has ceased production and its editorial staff members are in hiding. In addition, several reporters have resigned in order to escape the further attentions of the authorities.
There has been a deeply worrying history of government action against the "New Democrat". In 1996, the offices of the newspaper were burnt down, allegedly upon the orders of the authorities (see IFEX alert of 1 May 1996). Following the 1997 elections, the government rejected the paper's application to commence publication, which was only granted after an extensive international campaign (see IFEX alerts of 21 April and 20 February 1998). Furthermore, several persons suspected of being critical of the government, among them Norwai Flomo, Samuel Dokie and three members of his family, have in the past disappeared.
As a result of the government's actions, reporters are in a virtual state of siege with the government and security officials using arrests and interrogations as the most common methods of intimidation. These attacks would also appear to be linked to President Taylor's statement that he would become "ferocious" with the "New Democrat" for its coverage of the death of Vice President Enoch Dogolea.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to the president: - noting that the government intimidation and harassment of the "New Democrat" is in gross violation of everyone's right to "seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers" as guaranteed by Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights - also reminding His Excellency that Liberia is a signatory of the African Charter of Human Rights which guarantees freedom of expression - urging His Excellency to do everything in his power to ensure the safety of the journalists and other staff members of the "New Democrat", and their safe return to their workplace - urging His Excellency to lift the ban on advertising in the newspaper - urging His Excellency to ensure that journalists working in Liberia are allowed to report freely and safely practice their profession
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APPEALS TO:
Dr. Charles Ghankay Taylor President Office of the President, Capitol Hill 1000 Monrovia 10 Liberia Fax: +231 226 076
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information, contact IPI at Spiegelgasse 2, A-1010 Vienna, Austria, tel: +43 1 512 90 11, fax: +43 1 512 90 14, e-mail: Michael Kudlak at mkudlak@freemedia.at, or Barbara Trionfi at info@freemedia.at, Internet site: www.freemedia.at
The information contained in this action alert is the sole responsibility of IPI. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit IPI.
