The management and staff of Freetown-based Radio Democracy were living in a state of fear after receiving frequent threats from some unknown persons.
Radio Democracy had been off air for three months after being evicted from their premises by a court order, following their inability to pay their rent which was outrageously increased by the landlady from US$2,500 to US$10,000 per annum.
The threats on Radio Democracy started when the station announced that it would resume broadcasting from their temporal office in the premises of another radio station, Sky Radio whose proprietor, Hannah Johnson, was also threatened.
According to Umaru Fofanah president of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), the threats were “a complete attack on press freedom.” He added that “SLAJ would do all it can to resist this and other attempts aimed at preventing journalists from performing their role”