Last Friday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Liberian authorities to take prompt action regarding the violent assault and arrest of local journalist Kesselee Sumo. The organization requested a thorough investigation into the incident as well as a dismissal of charges against him. The Bong Mine Community radio presenter found himself at the center of a legal dispute concerning his news coverage of a controversial local event.
As stated by the CPJ, Sumo had aired a story on March 7 about an alleged illegal detention of community leaders orchestrated by a certain magistrate Sulonteh. In the ensuing aftermath, Sumo was mandated to appear in court under the pretext that Sulonteh demanded monetary “compensation” for his report. After refusing this coercion, he was charged with offenses including “interference with judicial matters” and “criminal coercion,” – encapsulating defamation under section 14.27 of the Liberia penal code. Furthermore, the Press Union of Liberia reportedly held Sulonteh responsible for authorizing Sumo’s arrest.
In response to CPJ’s inquiry, Sulonteh declined to engage or answer any questions. She insisted that she was not accountable to the CPJ and categorically denied the existence of professional journalists in Liberia. On their part, Liberian authorities justified the assault on Sumo by stating that he had failed to fully comply with law enforcement instructions and had resisted arrest.
The journalist rights watchdog CPJ has been maintaining a stern vigilance on the threats posed to, and the detention and attacks on journalists worldwide. The constantly changing dynamics underline the precarious circumstances that journalists find themselves in today. According to the Press Freedom Index, Liberia ranked 66th out of 180 countries in 2023, representing an improvement from its 75th position in 2022 and 98th in 2021. However, advancements in ranking do not always translate to an enhancement in press freedom.
Internationally, there has been a worrisome increase in journalist incarcerations and killings. The CPJ reported record levels of journalist imprisonments in 2021 and 2023, with a marked uptick in journalist fatalities in 2022. These risks tend to amplify when covering sensitive subjects such as elections and international conflicts. Journalists trudging through the trenches in oppressive regimes are particularly at risk and instances of rights violations are not anomalies in countries like Myanmar, Iran, and Afghanistan.
The full details of the matter can be found in the original news piece from JURIST here.