Monrovia – The Press Union of Liberia has condemned what it calls the “wrongful and calculated” sentencing of journalist Eric Opa Doue to 30 days in prison by the Cestos City Magisterial Court in Rivercess County.
On Monday, Magistrate Dixon Yeahgar ordered the detention of Doue on a charge of criminal coercion—despite an earlier settlement requiring the journalist to retract and apologize for a story involving police officer Ojuku Weeks, a condition the PUL says he already fulfilled through multiple retractions and public apologies.
“The Magistrate has committed a grave misapplication of justice by wrongly detaining the journalist under a charge that has nothing to do with the facts of the case. He has allowed himself to be used as an instrument of intimidation against the press,” the Union said in a statement signed by its president Julius Kanubah.
The PUL accused Magistrate Yeahgar of acting in concert with Rivercess County Attorney Martin Tumoe and officer Weeks in an attempt to harass and silence independent journalists. It also pointed to a “double standard,” noting that a similar charge against journalist Methuselah Gaye was dropped after he issued a retraction and apology.
“This contradiction strongly suggests that journalist Doue is being targeted for his history of critical reporting on governance issues in Rivercess County,” the Union said.
The PUL further raised concerns over the timing of Attorney Tumoe’s appointment by President Joseph Boakai, suggesting the jailing of Doue may have been politically motivated.
Doue’s lawyer, Attorney Bruce Boweh, expressed disappointment, noting that despite a mutually agreed settlement, the Court still chose to jail his client.
The Union called for Doue’s immediate release, stressing that “he is not a criminal and should never have been jailed under false pretenses.”
This latest detention marks the fourth attempt since August 13 to imprison journalist Doue in connection with the same matter.
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