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COVID-19 and Press Freedom: Media Support Organisations in West Africa Share Perspectives

Kwaku Asante
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COVID-19 and Press Freedom: Media Support Organisations in West Africa Share Perspectives

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been a lot of studies, reports, and conversations on the devastating impact of the pandemic on news media organisations in West Africa. Quite a lot have been learnt about the collapse of media organisations in Mauritania and Guinea; significant media job losses and pay cuts in Nigeria; abuses against journalists in nearly all countries in the region; and in fact, what some have even called a “media apocalypse” in the region.

So far, not much has been heard and learnt about the impact of the pandemic on organisations on the ground that work to advance press freedom and support media development – the organisations at the national level that build the capacity of journalists, defend journalists when there are abuses against them, and advocate against laws that undermine press freedom. Indeed, reviving and sustaining news media organisations around the world will, to some extent, depend on the effectiveness and sustainability of such national media support organisations.

It is in the context of this that the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) convened a meeting of heads of the leading press freedom groups in the various countries in West Africa to discuss the impact of the pandemic on their work. The meeting also discussed effective ways of minimising the effects on their operations going forward.

Participants:

Organisations that participated in the meeting were : l’Association Guinéenne des éditeurs de la Presse Indépendante (AGEPI), Guinea; Regroupement de la Presse Mauritanienne (RPM), Mauritania; l’Observatoire de la Liberté de la Presse, l’Ethique et de la Déontologie (OLPED), Côte d’Ivoire; The Gambia Press Union (GPU); International Press Centre (lPC), Nigeria; l’Observatoire de la Déontologie et de l’Ethique dans les Medias (ODEM), Benin; Media Reform Coordinating Group – Sierra Leone (MRCG-SL); Sindicato De Jornalistas e Tecnicos De Comunicacao Social Guinea Bissau (SINJOTECS); Union des Journalistes Indépendants du Togo (UJIT); National de Presse Norbert Zongo (CNP-NZ), Burkina Faso; Centre for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP), Liberia; la Maison de la Presse (MP), Mali; l’Observatoire Nigérien Indépendant des Médias pour l’Ethique et la Déontologie (ONIMED), Niger; Associação de Jornalistas de Cabo Verde (AJOC), Cape Verde; Syndicat des Professionnels de l’Information et de la Communication du Sénégal

Challenges/Impact

The deliberations and experiences shared at the meeting revealed that just as many news media organisations faced financial challenges during the pandemic, media support organisations have also suffered from financial constraints and other operational challenges.

Across the region, these media support organisations have had to endure challenges of high data cost to stay connected especially during lockdowns. Also, given that nearly all the media support organisations in the region exist and operate with project funding (rather than core or general operating funding) payment of salaries of staff became challenging when projects had to be put on hold. Besides, it became almost impossible for them to support news media organisations and journalists in distress during the period.

“As a freedom of expression and media support organisation, journalists and the media look up to us for support. So when the organisations are in distress, it has a devastating impact on the media landscape,” Dr. Francis Sowa, National Coordinator of the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) in Sierra Leone explained during the regional meeting.

Other challenges highlighted include:

  • Disruption of planned activities including in-person engagements with donor deadlines
  • Unstable internet connectivity
  • Difficulty in accessing information from state agencies at a time when access to information was critical to advocacy and public education efforts especially in countering fake news and mis/disinformation
  • A lot of fake news and mis/disinformation had to be countered
  • Challenges of working remotely and using apps that were not familiar.

Recommendations

Together, the regional freedom of expression organisations – who are also national partner organisations of the MFWA – called for stronger regional collaboration (among partners in the region and with international partners) and networking to re-enforce each other’s work on press freedom and freedom of expression advocacy.

They also stressed the need for more collaborative research to understand and highlight the peculiar challenges of media development, press freedom, and freedom of expression; especially studies on media sustainability, safety of journalists, and independent journalism in the region.

MFWA Convenes Regional Meeting of Freedom of Expression Organisations in West Africa

Kwaku Asante
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MFWA Convenes Regional Meeting of Freedom of Expression Organisations in West Africa

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) will on May 18, 2021 host some of the most prominent media and freedom of expression organisations to a one-day virtual meeting on promoting freedom of expression amidst a global pandemic.

The meeting, which is one of the annual convenings organised by the MFWA, will discuss pertinent prevailing and emerging issues in the freedom of expression and media landscape in the region.

Specifically, this year’s convening will discuss the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the operations of media, freedom of expression, and access to information organisations in all the 16 countries in the region. Participants will particularly share and learn from the experiences of colleague executive directors of the respective organisations on how they managed the challenges that came with COVID-19 and the lessons they picked throughout those trying times.

Participants will also brainstorm and strategise on how to strengthen collaborations to effectively deal with offline/online freedom of expression and press-related issues.

The media and freedom of expression organisations that will be participating in this regional forum are national partner organisations of the MFWA in the respective countries in West Africa.

Arrest of Citi FM/TV Journalists Adds to a Growing Trend of Press Freedom Embarrassment in Ghana

Kwaku Asante
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Arrest of Citi FM/TV Journalists Adds to a Growing Trend of Press Freedom Embarrassment in Ghana

The Media Foundation for West Africa condemns the invasion of Citi TV premises by seven armed security officers on May 11, 2021, in an attempt to arrest Zoe Abu-Baidoo, a journalist with the Accra-based media organisation.

The female broadcast journalist had been accused of receiving some video files from her colleague, Caleb Kudah, who had earlier been arrested over ‘unauthorised’ filming of some vehicles on the premises of the Ministry of National Security.

The rifle-wielding police officers stormed the premises of the broadcast station and went straight after Zoe Abu-Baidoo who was at the car park. Sensing danger, the journalist ran into the main building, while the police officers pursued her. The incident threw the whole office into panic and disrupted work momentarily.

Following the intervention of the media organisation’s Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Attah-Mensah, the police agreed for the journalist to be accompanied to the Ministry of National Security for interrogation.  The journalist was released after about two hours, with her colleague Caleb Kudah being released much later the same day.

The General Manager of Citi TV/Radio Bernard Avle said the armed invasion and arrests was a traumatising experience for the journalists and left the staff in shock.

“Besides we are a recognised media house and you know people here, so if you want to talk to Zoe about information she has, this is not the way to do it,” Avle told citinewsrooom.com.

This kind of drama is not one you would normally associate with Ghana. Arresting a journalist and pursuing another into a newsroom with seven heavily armed security officers is a classic feature of a dictatorship and it is an embarrassment for Ghana to project itself this way to the world.

The MFWA cannot see how the filming by a journalist of the National Security Ministry building, which is a public institution accessible to the public, can constitute a national security breach. Indeed, journalists have the right to film even private property when it is the scene of an activity or is associated with an event that is of public interest to publicise.

Over the years, we have seen a number of incidents in which security officers have assaulted or arrested journalists for filming their operations conducted in public. This is a blatant abuse of authority and must be checked.

Musah Tanko Zakaria, a journalism lecturer and legal practitioner told the MFWA that “the police can restrict journalists’ work including filming only on grounds of public safety, or when the journalists trespass into areas designated as security zones, interfere with an arrest, violate privacy rights, or otherwise fail to respect legitimate measures by law enforcement to control riots or disorder or prevent interference in their operations. In all cases, the restriction should be proportionate and legitimate and aimed at achieving a specific objective that is in public interest.”

The Rambo-style storming of Citi FM revives memories of a raid in 2019 on the offices of the online media organisation, ModernGhana.com, also by National Security operatives. The invading officers seized mobile phones and carried away computers after arresting two journalists of the media outlet, one of whom reported being tortured in detention.

Security officers’ propensity for attacks on journalists covering their activities on journalists in Ghana is becoming too frequent. The Citi FM incident came just three days after security officers brutalised Peter Tabiri, a correspondent of Pent TV in Asankragua in the Western North Region. The security officers had overhead the journalist reporting on phone to another person their raid on a casino. The journalist was actually reporting the raid to the Amenfi Divisional Commander of Police who later revealed to the MFWA that the officers involved were not from or under his jurisdiction.

On January 14, 2021, a police officer, Sergeant Solomon Tackie, arrested and detained Selorm Gborbidzi, a reporter of the Accra-based The Finder newspaper for filming a scuffle between him and a driver of a commercial vehicle.

On April 15, 2021, some soldiers assaulted journalists who were covering a demonstration at La in Accra. The victims included Nii Ayikwei who works with Citi FM/TV and Desmond Osae Amponsah of TV Africa. The member of parliament of the area berated the assault on the journalists.

“The residents and some journalists have been assaulted, and I don’t think this augurs well for us as a nation,” the lawmaker said during an interaction with the media a day after the incident,” the MP for La Dadekotopon, Rita Naa Adoley Sowah, lamented at a press conference a day later.

On August 12, 2020, a soldier identified as Lieutenant Frimpong attacked Stanley Nii Blewu, a cameraman with TV3 at the Tema Station in Accra. The soldier, who was enforcing a clean-up exercise at the bus terminal, also seized Blewu’s camera and the phone of Joseph Armstrong, also a reporter with TV3, before deleting all recordings from the gadgets.

Incidents like these have contributed to a decline in Ghana’s press freedom ranking from being first in Africa and 23rd in the world in 2018 to 3rd and 30th respectively over the past three years.

“It is about time we had a national dialogue to come to clarity regarding the rights of journalists to cover the security services in order to end the conflicts over filming and recording,” Zakaria added.

The MFWA is extremely concerned about these press freedom violations by security officers and urges the National Security Minister, the Minister of Defense and of the Interior to call their men to order. The media plays too crucial a role in our democracy for it to be left at the mercy of overzealous security officers. Also, given these violations can undermine Ghana’s press freedom environment and lead to self-censorship, we urge the Minister of Information to take steps to get to engage the actors involved in order to reverse the trend.

COVID-19 was Disruptive, But Our Resolve was Stronger – Highlights of MFWA’s Impact in 2020

Kwaku Asante
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COVID-19 was Disruptive, But Our Resolve was Stronger – Highlights of MFWA’s Impact in 2020

In March 2020, the WHO declared Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) as a pandemic. The outbreak of the disease disrupted the activities of almost every institution – be it public, private, or civil society organisation.

At the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), even though the COVID-19 had a heavy toll on our work, it did not stop our resolve to push for further expansion of the frontiers of free speech, media freedoms, and access to information.

The destructive nature of the virus could not distract the MFWA from providing media institutional development support, empowering the media for participatory and accountable governance, or contributing to the fight against the spread of the virus by empowering the media to provide factual information in a timely manner.

At the peak of the outbreak and thereafter, for instance, the MFWA produced over 200 fact-check reports, dozens of explainers and a number of documentaries to counter myths, fake news, and mis/disinformation about the virus. This was effectively done by partnering with 50 local-language radio stations across Ghana who helped in relaying fact-checked information to people in local dialects.

On our freedom of expression advocacy front, the MFWA produced about 130 alerts, statements, and reports to inform and shape our advocacy efforts. The organisation also facilitated police-media engagements in Ghana, Guinea, and Nigeria and produced police-media frameworks to help improve the safety of journalists.

To read more about MFWA’s achievements/impact in 2020, including how the organisation contributed to issues-based and peaceful elections in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Niger; the release of an imprisoned Beninese journalist; capacity building interventions for journalists, local assembly officials, female journalists, and bloggers; click here to read our 2020 Annual Report.

MFWA Holds Residential Story Development Boot Camp for Journalists in Ghana, Niger and Cote d’Ivoire

Kwaku Asante
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MFWA Holds Residential Story Development Boot Camp for Journalists in Ghana, Niger and Cote d’Ivoire

Beginning May 2021, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) will host journalists from print, radio, television, and online news portals in separate story development boot camps to be held in Ghana, Niger, and Cote d’Ivoire.

The boot camps will offer the participating journalists opportunities for peer learning, experience sharing, and mentorship. Participants will brainstorm on their proposed story ideas for which they were selected, and discuss more effective approaches to pursuing those stories. A significant part of the boot camp will focus on how journalists can utilise or evoke the Access to Information (ATI) or Right to Information (RTI) laws in their respective countries to access information to advance the development of their stories.

The boot camps will be a mixture of interactive presentations from seasoned media professionals, group works, and practical story development sessions. At the end of the workshop, participants who require and are able to justify a need for financial support to work on their stories will receive financial support to undertake those stories.

After the story development boot camp, there will be a one-day national forum on the role of Access to Information Laws in ensuring transparent and accountable governance in Niger and Cote d’Ivoire. Key stakeholders including journalists, civil society organisations, and public officials will participate in these forums. The MFWA is also currently developing a Manual which will provide quick tips on how journalists can effectively use the ATI laws in their countries to pursue their stories.

The story development boot camps form part of the MFWA’s project “Promoting press freedom, independent journalism and democratic governance in West Africa” which is being implemented in Niger, Cote d’Ivoire, and Ghana with funding support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

WAMECA 2021: Call for Entries

Kwaku Asante
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WAMECA 2021: Call for Entries

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is calling for entries for the 5th edition of the West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA).

WAMECA 2021 will be held on October 22 and 23 in Accra, Ghana, and will focus on the theme: Misinformation, Digital Media Regulation and Journalism in Africa.

The Awards are opened to journalists from print, electronic and online media in Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone countries in West Africa. An Applicant must be West African, working with and for a media organisation(s). An Entry for the Awards must have been published or broadcast between the period January 1 to December 31, 2020.

WAMECA 2021 will honour outstanding works of journalism in West Africa in the following categories:

Health Reporting

Environmental Reporting

Anti-Corruption Reporting

Investigative Reporting

Human rights Reporting

Business and SMEs Reporting

Telecoms and ICTs Reporting

Special Covid-19 Reporting

 

The deadline for the submission of the entries is on June 30, 2021, at 17.00 GMT. Finalists for WAMECA 2021 Awards will be announced on October 1, 2021.

Interested applicants should upload published works via the entry form on the website: www.mfwa.org/wameca. The entry should be an original work published through a media outlet in West Africa and must show the date of publication/broadcast and the medium in which the work was published. Applicants may submit entries to a maximum of two categories. For each category, a maximum of two entries is permitted.

Winners of the various categories will be announced at the West Africa Media Excellence Awards on October 23, at Swiss Spirit Alisa Hotel, Accra where the awards ceremony will be held. The Conference will feature sessions on topical journalism issues and also provide opportunities for networking among journalists, editors, and experts from West Africa.

Below are the important dates:

Opening of Entries – May 3, 2021

Deadline for submission of entries: June 30, 2021

Assessment of entries and selection of finalists: July 10 –August 30, 2021

Announcement of finalists: October 1, 2021

Conference: October 22, 2021

Awards Night: October 23, 2021

 Make your submission here.

For more information, visit www.mfwa.org/wameca or email us at wameca[@]mfwa.org or call the MFWA on +233 302 -555327

WAMECA is an initiative of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to promote media excellence in the sub-region.

World Press Freedom Day 2021: MFWA, Guinea Partner Petition President Alpha Condé for the Release of Two Detained Journalists

Kwaku Asante
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World Press Freedom Day 2021: MFWA, Guinea Partner Petition President Alpha Condé for the Release of Two Detained Journalists

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and its partner in Guinea, the independent editors’ guild (AGEPI), have requested the Minister of National Unity and Citizenship of the Republic of Guinea to intercede with the President of the Republic for the release of two journalists detained in connection with their work.

The two are Ibrahima Sadio Bah, who has been serving a six (6) month sentence since the end of February 2021, and Amadou Diouldé Diallo, also detained for more than 43 days at the Central House in Conakry, whose state of health is deteriorating.

The petition was delivered to the office and also emailed to the Honorable Mamadou Taran Diallo, Minister of National Unity and Citizenship, who acknowledged receipt.

This advocacy forms part of the activities by MFWA and its Guinean partner to mark World Press Freedom Day 2021.

The petition appealed to “the high sense of humanism of the President of the Republic so that these two journalists can join their families in order to fulfill their religious duty during the two weeks remaining of the month of Ramadan so that they can celebrate the end of the holy month with their families”.

The two media defense organisations also reiterated their desire to constantly work with the Guinean authorities to ensure a better structuring professionalisation of the media sector and the freedom of expression environment in the Republic of Guinea.

Read the full petition here.

World Press Freedom Day 2021: Media Professionalism Key in Ensuring Information as Public Good

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World Press Freedom Day 2021: Media Professionalism Key in Ensuring Information as Public Good

On the occasion of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) salutes the gallant contribution of the media in West Africa in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic.  The MFWA applauds the media’s commitment to providing factual, reliable, timely information which has helped to counter the influx of misinformation and disinformation about the disease.

Indeed, misinformation and unfounded rumours during a pandemic are as debilitating as the disease itself. An information vacuum is dangerous, as it fuels harmful speculations that can put the lives of the public at risk.

For instance, on March 19, 2020, a Sierra Leonean mother, Mrs. Mantie Tina Turay, died of cardiac arrest. Mrs. Turay, who had a heart condition, had received false information that a suspicious Coronavirus vaccine was being administered to schoolchildren in Freetown. Anxious to save her child, she had made a lung-bursting run towards her child’s school, but collapsed on the way, and was eventually pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

In Guinea, there was a widespread conspiracy theory that the coronavirus was a creation of the government aimed at limiting freedom of assembly and public protests against the President’s bid for a third term in office. This resulted in a general disregard for safety measures, thus, causing the infection rate to soar. Thirty-two journalists contracted the disease as well as hundreds of Guineans.

Similarly, health personnel in Nigeria identified numerous cases of Chloroquine overdose among patients after various media platforms, especially social media, ignorantly extolled its efficacy for the treatment of COVID-19.

These incidents underline how deadly false information can be, especially during a health emergency and the need to have factual, reliable, and timely information.

Across West Africa, the MFWA observed several initiatives undertaken by several media organisations to counter misinformation. Many fact-checking initiatives were started. For instance, within the first three months of the COVID-19 outbreak, TogoCheck in Togo produced 77 reports to counter fake news in relation to the virus. Fact-Check Ghana, an MFWA initiative, produced over 100 fact-checked reports on the disease, and broadcast scores of documentaries to debunk fake news.

In Sierra Leone, the daily ‘Leh Wi Dreb Corona’ (Let’s Drive Corona Away), and the weekly ‘Corona Tok’ (Corona Talk) simulcast programmes became the game-changer, providing factual and verified information which helped demystify the disease, calmed nerves, and built public trust. The media comprehensively reported statistics, restrictions, and practical guidance on protection, which helped people schedule their daily routines in an informed manner.

It is, however, important to stress that the ability of the media to provide factual information to the public lies in their greatest commitment to professionalism and respect for their code of ethics. As purveyors of information, the MFWA reminds the media that information can serve the public good only if it is accurate. The media is therefore encouraged to ensure the following:

  • Verify every piece of information on the pandemic (and other issues) adequately and not to be in a haste to publish content.
  • Speak to health experts and professionals for explanation and insights on issues concerning the COVID pandemic and any other subject matter being reported.
  • Always crosscheck facts with the local and international institutions designated to provide information on the COVID-19 pandemic – eg. World Health Organisation (WHO), Africa Center for Disease Control, Health Services of the Government, etc – and any other issue being reported.
  • The media must use their platforms to counter misinformation and disinformation, and debunk conspiracy theories on COVID-19.
  • Ultimately, the media must produce content aimed at fighting and preventing the spread of COVID-19.

MFWA Launches Independent Journalism Project with Team of Avid Journalists

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MFWA Launches Independent Journalism Project with Team of Avid Journalists

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has launched a non-profit, independent investigative journalism project called The Fourth Estate.

The project, emerging out of about three years of planning and brainstorming, is a response to the dearth of critical, analytical, in-depth, and independent journalism in Ghana and in many countries in West Africa.

“As governments continue to tighten the noose on press freedom, amid a prevalence of state, corporate and political capture of media organisations, journalism is increasingly losing its watchdog role. Independent journalism that holds those in authority accountable to the people and fosters transparency and accountability in governance is critical now than ever before across West Africa,” said Abigail Larbi, Programme Manager for the Media and Good Governance Programme at the Foundation.

The Fourth Estate project will, through independent, fact-based journalism, focus on asserting the watchdog role of the media to promote transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption in governance. The project will prioritise quality investigative and in-depth reporting in the areas of governance, environment (especially climate change issues and the extractives sector), health, and human rights.

The Project will also routinely highlight critical issues affecting people’s lives, especially matters of access to public goods and services among the poor and marginalised. Through data-driven and fact-based reporting, the project will contribute to inspiring evidence-based public policy decisions.

A team of young, highly skilled, professional, and passionate journalists who are committed to the values of critical, independent, accountability journalism, has been constituted for the implementation of the project. The team is led by the multiple award-winning Ghanaian investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni.

“I am delighted to see this project take off after nearly three years of planning and consultations with external stakeholders and partners, and brainstorming with colleagues. I am very passionate about the project and confident about the impact it will have on journalism and journalism’s contribution to improving the lives of people and the quality of governance,” said, Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the MFWA.

You can learn more about The Fourth Estate or read stories produced by the team by visiting the project website.

WAMECA 2021 Slated for October 22&23

Kwaku Asante
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WAMECA 2021 Slated for October 22&23

The 2021 edition of the West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA) has been scheduled for October 22 and 23 in Accra, Ghana. The theme for this year’s event is Misinformation, Digital Media Regulation and Journalism in Africa.

The event will be a combination of both virtual and in-person meetings. It will feature journalists, editors, media development experts, academics and representatives from the public sector, civil society organisations, and other regional and international organisations.

Conversations at the Conference will focus on issues such as the escalating phenomenon of Misinformation and how it impacts trust in the media and the information that people receive; the rising spate of Digital Media Regulation in Africa – the best practices, pitfalls to avoid and how to draw a fine line between censorship, freedoms and responsibilities.

Participants will deliberate, share lessons and experiences and proffer key recommendations on improving the media going forward.

The Awards Ceremony will honour journalists in West Africa who have produced compelling works that are positively impacting lives in society. Call for entries for the awards ceremony opens on May 3, 2021.

WAMECA is an initiative of the MFWA to promote media excellence in the sub-region. The Conference brings together stakeholders in the media industry in West Africa and beyond to deliberate on key challenges to media development and explore ways to support the media to promote good governance, regional integration and peace.

Lawsuit against Journalist: Prosecutor Demands 5 million Guinea Francs Fine

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Lawsuit against Journalist: Prosecutor Demands 5 million Guinea Francs Fine

The prosecutor in charge of the jailed journalist Amadou Diouldé Diallo’s lawsuit has requested a 5 million Guinean Francs fine (about 500 US dollars) in compliance, he says, with provisions of law 98 as well as those of Act 105 of the law L2010 02 CNT on press freedom.

This is an unexpected change to the case. In fact, charged with offending the head of state, the journalist is currently in police custody. The media fraternity in Guinea has denounced this, arguing that the law on press freedom does not provide for the deprivation of liberty.

Held since 27 February 2021, Amadou Diouldé Diallo appeared before Conakry’s General Court on 13 April 2021.  The Court’s presiding judge, Aboubacar Mafering Camara, informed the detained journalist that he was being prosecuted for “insulting the head of state” in comments made during the programme Œil de Lynx on 21 January on Radio Lynx Fm. The journalist who was a guest speaker on the programme which has a high audience rating declared that President Alpha Conde wanted to exterminate the Fulani people.

The judge asked him if he acknowledged having uttered offending remarks against the Guinean head of state. Amadou Diouldé Diallo replied that he had not offended the head of state and denied the charge against him. Moreover, he said he takes full responsibility for the statement, which he said stand as an “alert and not an offence to the head of state”.

Sidy Souleymane N’diaye, the public prosecutor at the First Instance Court of Dixinn, spent a long time in his summons on the content of the journalist’s remarks when participating in the programme “œil de lynx”. He then qualified the remarks as “an attack on the President of the Republic’s integrity and reputation”. He consequently demanded a fine of 5 million Guinean francs (about 500 US dollars) under Law 98 and 105 of Law L2010 02 CNT of 22 June 2010 on press freedom.

The curious thing is that, although Law L2010 02 CNT of 22 June 2010 on freedom of the press does not provide for police custody or imprisonment, the court failed to release the journalist. After pleadings and arguments from lawyers, the president of the court has rejected the request of the defence to release the journalist and has postponed the deliberation to 28 April 2021.

Posterior to the hearing, the journalist Amadou Diouldé Diallo, who has been ill for weeks and hospitalised at the Ignace Deen Hospital, was carried in the central prison vehicle. He was returned to the hospital where he is to continue his treatment until 28 April before knowing what fate awaits him.

“We are disappointed by the representative of the public prosecutor insofar as this offence, even if proven, incurs a financial penalty and not deprivation of liberty.  We are therefore surprised in this indictment that he is still talking about a two-week delay, o pot of which he is asking our client to return to prison”, lamented Esq Alseny Aissata Diallo, before indicating that “whatever decision is taken, will only be a financial one and not one of deprivation of liberty”.

The MFWA is also disappointed that the journalist has been sent back to prison for an alleged press offence, which falls under the 22nd of June 2010 Law L2010 02 CNT on freedom of the press, which is supposed to have decriminalised press offences. We, therefore, appeal to the Guinean authorities to take the necessary measures to release the journalist from prison, who is also ailing.

MFWA, National Partners Petition Sierra Leonean Government to End Trial of Journalist

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MFWA, National Partners Petition Sierra Leonean Government to End Trial of Journalist

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has called on the Sierra Leonean Government to end the prosecution of Fayia Amara Fayia, a journalist with the Standard Times newspaper who is being prosecuted in connection with his work.

The call was made on April 12, 2021, in a petition jointly signed by the MFWA and its partner organisation the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) as well as the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ).

In a sad case of a victim turned accused, Fayia was brutalised by military personnel on April 2, 2020, while on COVID-19 coverage duties in the town of Kenema, hospitalised under police custody, subsequently detained for three days, and finally arraigned before court. He was charged with assault, disorderly conduct, and obstructing security officers’ duties.

The petition addressed to Minister of Information Mohamed Rahman Swaray, cited the long, tiresome proceedings amidst several adjournments, the financial cost of the trial, and its disruptive impact on the work and education of the journalist who also pursuing further studies at the University.

The petitioners cited the recent repeal of criminal libel in Sierra Leone and subsequent discontinuation of criminal defamation proceedings against a publisher, Sylvia Blyden Olayinka, as encouraging gestures from the government.

“In the spirit of this conciliatory gesture that President Julius Maada Bio’s Administration has made towards the media, we humbly urge, you, Honourable Minister, to intervene to end the prosecution of journalist Fayia Amara Fayia,” the petitioners pleaded.

Click here to read the petition.

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