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SLAJ Condemns Arrest of Foreign Journalist By Opposition Party Members

17 October 2012 at 18:06 | 6173 views

The National Secretariat of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, after preliminary investigation wishes to condemn the alleged action of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party for taking a French journalist to their party headquarters for questioning during their party nomination rally on Monday October 8 October 2012 in Freetown.

“How could someone filming an open event – in broad-day light – be doing so surreptitiously to constitute espionage?” asks the SLAJ President, adding that if there was anything suspicious the cameraman was doing, he should have been taken straight to the police.

The National Secretariat has launched an investigation into the matter to verify accusations and counter-accusations of kidnapping and torturing of the journalist by officials of the ruling APC and SLPP respectively, and the public will be duly informed about the outcome.

“We have no evidence of the claims of torture or even beating or any manhandling of the journalist, and if it exists would be interested to receive it for action,” says Umaru Fofana SLAJ President.

The National Secretariat wishes it to be known that this release is not being sent out under any pressure from any political party or individual.


Ismael Koroma

National Secretary General

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