– Calls for Immediate End to Persecution
Monrovia – The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has raised serious concerns over what it describes as a coordinated legal assault targeting journalists in Rivercess County, aimed at intimidating and silencing the press. The Union strongly condemns the arbitrary detention and judicial persecution of journalists Eric Opa Doue and Methuselah Gaye, denouncing it as a clear abuse of judicial power.
In a statement released Saturday, the PUL called on Associate Magistrate Debah Zuku Debah of the Yarpah Town Magisterial Court, along with Associate Magistrate Dixon Yeahgar and Stipendiary Magistrate Colston Flemming of the Cestos City Magisterial Court, to immediately halt all harassment and unlawful detention of the two journalists.
Since Wednesday, 13 August 2025, the journalists have faced multiple arrests without legal representation. The first warrant, issued by Magistrate Debah, charged them with “Criminal Contempt of Court” for allegedly publishing “false, misleading, and unfounded information” on social media that questioned the integrity of the Yarpah Town Magisterial Court. The reports had linked the court to alleged bribery in the release of police officer Ojuku Weeks, who was initially reported to have been arrested by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) for narcotics possession.
A second warrant, issued by Magistrate Yeahgar, charged the journalists with “Criminal Coercion,” a case initiated by the same police officer, Ojuku Weeks, acting as a private prosecutor, effectively escalating the legal pressure following the contempt allegations. The journalists acknowledged that their initial reporting had mistakenly named Ojuku Weeks based on sources but issued a retraction upon learning that the actual suspect was Morris Doe.
PUL President Julius Kanubah expressed outrage, calling the situation a “strategically orchestrated attack on the press by a network of judicial and state actors in Rivercess County.” He emphasized that despite Liberia’s progress in decriminalizing free speech offenses through the Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act of Press Freedom and its commitment to the Declaration of Table Mountain—which advocates for the abolition of criminal defamation laws—some judicial officials continue to weaponize the legal system to punish journalists.
The PUL also criticized the excessive bail set at 60,000 Liberian Dollars (approximately USD 300) per journalist by the Cestos Magisterial Court, calling it a punitive measure in a county grappling with widespread poverty. While Methuselah Gaye secured temporary release after posting bail without legal counsel, Eric Opa Doue was detained at Cestos Prison on Friday, 15 August 2025, unable to pay the bond immediately. He was later released on Saturday, 16 August 2025, after spending a night in jail.
The Union highlighted the concerning refusal of Public Defender Abraham Nyounway to represent the journalists, arguing that such actions criminalize journalism and set a dangerous precedent, particularly for rural journalists who already face political interference and systemic abuse.
The PUL demanded the dismissal of all criminal charges against the journalists and urged aggrieved parties to pursue appropriate legal and regulatory channels rather than exploiting the judiciary to suppress press freedom. The Union reiterated that judicial authorities must uphold due process, protect freedom of expression, and respect the vital role of the press in Liberia’s democracy.
