5 November 2002

IMPRISONED JOURNALIST MAY BE RELEASED


Liberia's President, Charles Taylor, has given the first indication that journalist Hassan Bility, secretly detained since June on suspicion of collaborating with rebels, may soon be released, says Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Taylor announced on 28 October that Bility and two other individuals would be released if they signed a statement "acknowledging" that they would be re-arrested "in the event of any violations." It was not clear what would be considered "violations," RSF notes. No date has been set for Bility's release.

Bility, editor of the independent weekly, "The Analyst," and two associates, Ansumana Kamara and Mohammed Kamarahas, were arrested and secretly detained on 24 June. They were accused of collaborating with Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), a rebel group fighting government forces in the north. They have not been formally charged and their whereabouts are unknown.

"The Analyst" has often been critical of the President. [See IFEX "Communiqu%26#233;" #11-27].">http://communique.ifex.org/articles.cfm?system_id=4739">IFEX "Communiqué" #11-27].



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Also from the Communiqué, 5 November 2002

INTERNATIONAL: UNESCO TO HOLD SYMPOSIUM ON INTERNET FREE EXPRESSION 5 November 2002 INTERNATIONAL: DANIEL PEARL FELLOWSHIP LAUNCHED 5 November 2002 INTERNATIONAL: IPI TO MARK FIRST TEN YEARS IN VIENNA 5 November 2002 INTERNATIONAL: AMARC POSTPONES WORLD CONFERENCE 5 November 2002 INTERNATIONAL: CASCFEN TO HOLD FIRST CONFERENCE IN MARCH 2003 5 November 2002 UNITED STATES: CONGRESS TABLES INTERNET FREEDOM BILL 5 November 2002 CHILE: FILM CENSORSHIP ABOLISHED / WPFC, HRW URGE ELIMINATION OF "DESACATO" LAWS 5 November 2002 NAMIBIA: SHADES OF MUGABE AS JOURNALISTS FEAR LOSS OF MEDIA FREEDOMS 5 November 2002 INTERNATIONAL: HIGHLIGHTS IMPUNITY AND PRESS-FREEDOM ATTACKS IN THE AMERICAS 5 November 2002

Liberia

"National Chronicle" editor briefly detained, faces criminal complaint 17 January 2012 Clergyman assaults journalists, seizes camera 19 December 2011 Opposition "blacklist" targets media houses 28 November 2011 CEMESP cautiously welcomes re-opening of four media houses 17 November 2011 Fire destroys radio station 10 November 2011 See all alerts: Liberia


West Africa

NIGERIA: Airport officials lock out journalists, hold equipment 9 February 2012 MAURITANIA: ANHRI condemns detention of activist 9 February 2012 NIGERIA: French journalists detained, thrown out of restive state 7 February 2012 CAMEROON: Coup charges against writer dropped, still faces military tribunal 7 February 2012 CÔTE D'IVOIRE: Two detained journalists released 3 February 2012


 
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