Liberia: Journalist flogged by political partisans

Center for Media Studies & Peace Building
IFEX

On 26 April 2011, journalist Kaipee Newray, of the Catholic run Radio Veritas in Monrovia, was flogged by several senior partisans led by presidential hopeful Prince Y. Johnson of the National Union for Democratic Progress (NUDP).

Newray was flogged by the NUDP supporters after he refused to hand over his tape recorder and other personal effects to members of the party at the party's headquarters on the Old Road.

Detailing his ordeal to CEMESP, the journalist said that a few minutes upon his arrival at the party's headquarters, he was harassed by the partisans who demanded that he surrender his mini-tape recorder to them. He refused and in turn, the party supporters, including their leader, Prince Johnson, pounced on him.

He said the NUDP partisans demanded his recorder because according to them he was recording their conversation. The party is yet to make any official statement on the incident.