FeJAL Alarms Over Assault on Female Journalists

The Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL) has expressed concern over physical assaults and threats by some officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) on the lives of female reporters while discharging their duties.

Hannah N. Geterminah of the Daily Observer Newspaper was physically assaulted by a police officer from the metro police station on Ashmun street opposite the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and Oretha B. Seh of the ECOWAS Radio, was insulted by another police officer at the same station. Ms. Geterminah and Mrs. Seh were following up on the case of illegal confiscation of the phone of Journalist Trojan Molley Kiazolu of Farbric FM when an police officer, identified as Paul Kanneh, rained insults and physically attacked Ms. Geterminah and tore her clothes.

Meanwhile, Ms. Aryee Davis of Grain Coast Online TV has received life-threatening messages from Grand Gedeh County District 3 Representative Alex Grant and his supporters following her publications of two articles on the academic credentials of Representative Grant from the Ibadan University in Nigeria, titled: 

“UL Expels Rep. Grant for Academic Fraud” and “Academic Fraudster”.

FeJAL says it believes that such threats undermine the independence in the practice of journalism and, as such, reporters should not be threatened or attacked while performing their duties. 

“Currently Journalist Aryee Davis and her family are living in fear due to the current threats she continues to receive from unknown individuals since the publication on Grain Coast Online TV,” FeJAL said. 

The case was taken to the Professional Service Division of LNP, which has the authority to discipline police officers. During the investigation, Kanneh denied assaulting Ms. Geterminah and tearing her clothes. He claimed she tore her own dress and lied that he did the act.

After the investigation on Thursday, July 1, 2021. The investigators scolded Kanneh on grounds that the journalists did not go at the station to meet with him but to intervene in a situation that involved one of their colleagues; therefore he had no right to abuse a female reporter. Meanwhile, Kanney still denied laying hands on Ms. Geterminah. 

The findings have been submitted to Patrick Sudue, Inspector General of LNP for final variation and will be released in two weeks to the PSD.

FeJAL is an auxiliary of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL)  is calling for a speedy investigation in the case involving Ms. Geterminah, and vehemently condemned threats on the lives of Ms. Davis and her family members.  

FeJAL is also calling on the Government of Liberia to ensure that the lives of Journalists in Liberia be protected and their safety ensured. It can be recalled that Journalist Gloria Tamba of Spoon FM /TV was threatened by some unknown individuals while covering a story in 2020 and such threats caused her to go into hiding for a protracted period.