By 
Monrovia, Liberia – The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has sharply condemned what it calls a systematic abuse of judicial power against two journalists in Rivercess County, describing the situation as a calculated attempt to intimidate and silence the press.
Journalists Eric Opa Doue and Methuselah Gaye were subjected to back-to-back arrest warrants last week, leading to their detention on charges the PUL insists are politically motivated and legally baseless. The arrests came after the pair reported on alleged bribery surrounding the release of a police officer linked to a narcotics case.
Magistrate Debah Zuku Debah of the Yarpah Town Magisterial Court issued the first warrant, accusing the journalists of “criminal contempt of court” for allegedly spreading “false and misleading information” on social media. A second warrant quickly followed from Magistrate Dixon Yeahgar of the Cestos City Magisterial Court, this time charging them with “criminal coercion” at the request of police officer Ojuku Weeks—the same figure named in the initial report.
Though the journalists later clarified that the drug suspect in question was Morris Doe, not Weeks, PUL President Julius Kanubah branded the legal maneuvers a “strategically orchestrated attack on the press by a network of judicial and state actors in Rivercess County.”
Kanubah argued that such actions blatantly contradict the Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act of Press Freedom, which decriminalized free speech offenses in Liberia, as well as international commitments like the Declaration of Table Mountain that demand an end to criminal defamation.
“This is not only an abuse of judicial authority but also a dangerous retreat from Liberia’s obligations to protect press freedom,” Kanubah stressed.
The PUL further condemned the imposition of a 60,000 Liberian dollar (about USD 300) cash bond on each journalist a sum it described as “excessive and punitive” for residents of Rivercess County, where poverty is widespread. While Gaye managed to secure bail after spending a night in jail, Doue was remanded to the Cestos Prison until his release on Saturday after failing to pay immediately.
Adding to the controversy, Public Defender Abraham Nyounway reportedly refused to represent the journalists, a move the Union says effectively criminalizes journalism in rural Liberia.
The PUL has demanded that all charges be dropped and cautioned judicial officers against weaponizing the courts to target media professionals. The Union insists that grievances against journalists should be addressed through proper regulatory or civil channels, not through criminal persecution.
“Judicial actors must uphold due process, safeguard freedom of expression, and respect the press as an essential pillar of Liberia’s democracy,” the Union declared.
