Two journalists who were covering a protest march by the opposition in the city of Kankan in Guinea, were, on April 30, 2019, brutalised by thugs suspected be to sympathisers of the government.
Malick Diakité of tHorizon FM and Alhassane Diallo of the news website Guineealerte.comsite were beaten, their clothes torn and their work equipment seized. The thugs also confiscated their mobile phones.
The thugs had been attacking the demonstrators who were denouncing attempts by the government to change the two-term limit for the Presidency to enable President Alpha Conde to stand for a third term in office.
The journalists, who were covering the incidents, also fell victim as some of the thugs pounced on them and brutalised them.
Reports say gendarmes who had been deployed to maintain order, looked on as the protesters and the journalists were assaulted. The security forces later carried the injured protesters and the journalists to their office in their vehicle. The later released the journalists after advising them to ‘avoid risking their lives.’
The MFWA condemns the wanton attack on the protesters and journalists by the suspected pro-government thugs. We call for investigations into the incident and appropriate punishment for the perpetrators. We further call on the authorities in Guinea to take measures to protect demonstrators and journalists covering public gatherings in line with the state’s responsibility to protect press freedom and freedom of assembly.
