LIBERIA: Journalist accused of plotting against the president

ALERT - LIBERIA
>
> 2 July 2002
>
> Journalist accused of plotting against the president
>
> SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris
>
> (RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed serious concern after the arrest of Hassan
> Bility, editor-in-chief of the private weekly "The Analyst". "The
newspaper is
> well known for its highly critical attitude towards President Charles
Taylor,
> and we hope that the accusation of 'plotting against the President' is not
a
> pretext for silencing a journalist who is very critical of those in
power," said
> RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard in a letter to Liberian Information
Minister
> Reginald Goodridge. "We are concerned that this may be a witch hunt
against
> journalists who criticise government policies," he added. RSF called on
the
> minister to provide proof of the accusations as soon as possible or
release
> Bility.
>
> RSF has learned that "The Analyst" editor-in-chief was detained by
security
> agents on 24 June 2002. He is accused of collaborating with the rebel
group
> Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). According to the
> information minister, Bility is a "central figure among those who have
been
> running cells in Monrovia actively collaborating with LURD terrorists, as
well
> as their supporters in the United States of America." The authorities have
> announced that they have seized several e-mails sent or received by the
> journalist, which they claim prove his links with the rebel group. A
> spokesperson for LURD, speaking from abroad, said that Bility was "not a
member
> of LURD, not even a sympathiser," adding that he was also highly critical
of
> LURD.
>
> Bility is being held at the National Security Agency (NSA) in Monrovia.
Two
> other unidentified individuals were also arrested on the same accusations.
>
> RSF notes that in February, four journalists with "The Analyst" were
detained
> for 24 hours because of several articles which, according to the
authorities,
> were "not out for peace" and "poisoned the minds of the people." In
addition, on
> 26 April, the police searched the newspaper's offices and ordered it to be
> closed down (see IFEX alerts of 29 April, 22 and 13 February 2002). The
> president personally authorised the newspaper's return to the newsstands a
month
> later.
>
> For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard at RSF, rue
Geoffroy
> Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11
51,
> e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.fr
>
> The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of RSF.
In
> citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
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