The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the attack on a female journalist in
Freetown, Sierra Leone.
"The continued
attacks on journalists in Sierra
Leone need to be addressed urgently by the
Government" said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa Office. "These
attacks constitute a serious threat to the democratic ideals of the country and
must stop".
According to a
press release issued by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ),
Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, publisher and proprietor of the Awareness Times newspaper, was attacked in the capital, Freetown on
January 27. She believes the attack was connected to the case being tried at the
High Court on which she had reported.
The association
said that Sylvia had expressed fear of an attack on her following articles she
published which were critical of the people involved in the case. She now fears
for her life and lives with a sense of a threat of death hanging over her head.
The IFJ stands
shoulder to shoulder with journalists in Sierra Leone who are victims of these
acts of violence and intimidation from individuals seeking to suppress the
truth.
"We expect a full and
immediate investigation into this attack so that those who are behind are identified
and held to account," added Baglo.
For more
information contact the IFJ at + 221 33 867 95 87
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 123 countries worldwide
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