Guinean journalist Mamadou Boullère Diallo was arrested on Sunday, August 24, 2025, while reporting on a deadly landslide in Manéah, about 40 kilometres from the capital, Conakry. Diallo, a reporter for the Hadafo Media group and General Administrator of the website leguideinfo.net, was detained by soldiers and gendarmes as he covered the rescue operation.
The landslide, a national tragedy, killed 19 people, injured many others, left several missing and caused severe property damage. Security officers seized Diallo’s cameras and phones before taking him to the Mobile Company 23 gendarmerie unit near the disaster site.
After 24 hours of mediation, Diallo was released on Monday, August 25, and handed over to the National Union of Press Professionals of Guinea (SPPG). The union condemned the arrest as a violation of press freedom and demanded his immediate release. The detention contravenes Guinea’s 2010 Law L002 on Freedom of the Press, which decriminalises press offences and states that no journalist should be held for acts committed in the course of their work.
The incident occurs weeks before Guinea’s September 21 constitutional referendum on a return to civilian rule following the 2021 military coup. While the vote is seen as a step toward restoring democracy, civic and media space remain restricted. The MFWA calls on the Guinean authorities to investigate the arrest of Mamadou Boullère Diallo, return his confiscated equipment, and ensure that journalists can report freely and safely in line with the country’s 2010 press law and its regional and international human rights obligations.
