Soldier Assaults Journalist while Covering Arrest Proceedings

Monrovia, Liberia – On August 8, 2023, Joseph Tumbey, a senior reporter at the *New Democrat Newspaper* and publisher of Afric Daily Newspaper online, was brutally assaulted by a soldier while covering an unfolding political arrest at the Liberia National Police headquarters in Monrovia.

Tumbey was reporting on the arrest of former Sierra Leone Police Chief, Mohammed Turay, who was accused of involvement in a coup plot against Sierra Leonean President Julius Bio. According to the journalist, the unidentified soldier aggressively attacked him when he attempted to record the event on his phone.

“The attack was extremely aggressive,” Tumbey recounted. “The soldier not only obstructed my work but also damaged my phone in the process.”

Tumbey stated that he could not identify any motive for the assault other than his attempt to document the scene. He added that the incident has made him fearful for his safety, particularly when reporting on security matters involving Sierra Leone.

“I am afraid of the Sierra Leone Army, and I have become quite hesitant to interview foreigners,” he said.

Following the attack, Tumbey reported the incident to the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), which strongly condemned the assault and called on the Liberian National Police to launch an investigation and take disciplinary action against the soldier involved.

The attack on Tumbey has raised concerns over press freedom and the safety of journalists in Liberia, especially in politically sensitive cases involving international figures.