Guinean Presidential Guard Arrests Journalist Covering Protest

Conakry, Guinea – The targeting of journalists in Guinea continues as Ibrahima Foulamory Bah, a reporter for the independent online newspaper Courrier de Conakry, was arrested and harassed by the presidential guard while covering a protest on May 9, 2023.

Bah was stationed outside the Prime Minister’s Office when members of the presidential guard forcibly detained him, subjected him to intense questioning, took photographs of him, and examined the contents of his phone without consent. He was released an hour later without any formal charges.

This incident underscores the growing threats to press freedom and journalists’ safety in Guinea, where security forces continue to intimidate and harass independent media workers. Press rights organizations have condemned the arrest and called on authorities to respect journalists’ right to report freely without fear of retaliation.