Attacks on the Press in 2005 - Snapshots: Liberia
Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
Publication Date | February 2006 |
Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Attacks on the Press in 2005 - Snapshots: Liberia, February 2006, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/47c5671c23.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A Monrovia court ordered the offices of the privately owned weekly Forum shuttered for "contempt of court" in March. The action came after the paper's managing editor allegedly missed several summonses in connection with an ongoing civil libel case. The paper reopened two weeks later, after paying a fine.
In November, journalists complained of attacks and death threats made by supporters of failed presidential candidate George Weah. His party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), claimed fraud in the presidential runoff won by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The Press Union of Liberia advised journalists not to cover functions at CDC headquarters in the capital, Monrovia, until the party could guarantee their safety. The union said it had documented five cases of CDC supporters beating journalists at the headquarters. It later lifted its advisory, saying CDC leadership had apologized and offered assurances about journalist security.