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Journalists charged with spying denied bail

Country Map - Liberia (Onrovia) IRIN
War could engulf Monrovia
    ABIDJAN
    Four Liberian journalists charged with espionage on Thursday before a magistrate in Monrovia were denied bail, news organisations reported. Joseph Bartuah, Abdullah Dukuly, Jerome Dalieh and Bobby Tapson of the privately-owned daily, 'The News', were arrested on Wednesday after their newspapers reported that President Charles Taylor's government had spent US $50,000 to repair military helicopters. The government alleged that the story was meant to "reveal national defence information to a foreign power for the purpose of injuring Liberia...in the event of a military or diplomatic confrontation", the Panafrican News Agency reported. Magistrate Joseph Fayiah denied the journalists bail because of what he said was the gravity of the charges. He ordered that the journalist be remanded into custody until 26 February, when proceedings are due to resume. News reports quoted defence lawyers as saying that prior to the court appearance, their clients were stripped and forced to sleep in their underpants on the bare floors of poorly ventilated cells.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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