Sierra Leone: WAN concerned about attack on editor and temporary closure of six newspapers
"We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 100 countries, to express our serious concern at an attack on editor Harry Yansaneh and the temporary closure of six independent newspapers. According to reports, on 10 May family members of the parliamentary representative for the Tonkolili Central Constituency, Fatamata Hassan Komeh, were involved in an incident in which Mr Yansaneh, acting editor of the daily For Di People, was assaulted, allegedly for writing negative comments about the government. Two of Mrs Komeh's sons and three others reportedly entered the newspaper's offices and Mr Yansaneh was assaulted. They also chased other staff members out of the offices and damaged computers and other equipment."
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From: World Association of Newspapers (WAN), [email protected]
His Excellency Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
President of Sierra Leone
c/o Sierra Leone High Commission
Oxford Circus House, London
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
18 May 2005
Your Excellency,
We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the
World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 100 countries,
to express our serious concern at an attack on editor Harry Yansaneh and the
temporary closure of six independent newspapers.
According to reports, on 10 May family members of the parliamentary
representative for the Tonkolili Central Constituency, Fatamata Hassan
Komeh, were involved in an incident in which Mr Yansaneh, acting editor of
the daily For Di People, was assaulted, allegedly for writing negative
comments about the government. Two of Mrs Komeh's sons and three others
reportedly entered the newspaper's offices and Mr Yansaneh was assaulted.
They also chased other staff members out of the offices and damaged
computers and other equipment.
On the same day, six independent newspapers were reportedly forced off
newsstands for three days following an order that no generators be used in a
building belonging to Mrs Komeh. The building houses the offices of The
Independent Observer, For Di People, The Pool, The African Champion, The
Pioneer and The Progress. Mrs Komeh has also reportedly asked all six
newspapers, which have been operating from her building for more than a
decade, to leave the premises within six months and requested that they
restrict working hours to 7.45am to 7.45pm.
We respectfully remind you that the assault on Mr Yansaneh and the closure
of six newspapers constitutes a clear threat to the right to freedom of
expression, which is guaranteed by numerous international conventions,
including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 of the
Declaration states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through
any media, regardless of frontiers."
We respectfully call on you to ensure that all those responsible for the
attack on Mr Yansaneh are brought to justice. We ask you to do everything
possible to ensure that all members of the press are able to exercise their
right to freedom of expression without interference.
We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Gavin O'Reilly
Acting President
World Association of Newspapers
George Brock
President
World Editors Forum