South Sudan: CFWIJ Condemns The Interrogation Against Journalists Maura Ajak And Yom Manas
Location: South Sudan, Juba
Date: September 4, 2021
Security forces confiscated three journalists' equipment, two of whom were women, while following the opening of parliament by President Salva Kiir in Juba's Freedom Hall. Journalists were also briefly detained. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the impediment against journalists. We demand authorities to end intimidation policies against journalists in the country. Journalists must freely do their jobs.
Al Jazeera reporter Ajou Luol was briefly detained after an argument with security guards during President Salva Kiir's speech at the opening on August 30. Two other journalists, Maura Ajak and Yom Manas were also present at the event and were threatened, briefly detained by the security officials. Their equipment was confiscated when they boycott Luol's detention.
Journalist Maura, reached by CFWIJ, said that her colleague Ajou Luol was removed from the place reserved for journalists to follow up the event, by an excuse of the protocol given by the security guards. Maura stated that when they learned of the incident, the same officers threatened to arrest her and her photojournalist colleague Yom Manas in their attempt to boycott the situation. The journalist added that the security officers said they would finish them one by one.
The journalist also included that the interrogation lasted three hours with accusations of being anti-government.
“We deserve to be treated equally not like criminals and imposing accusations which are baseless, and calling names of individuals to be accused falsely in such cases,” Maura told CFWIJ.
On her Twitter account, she highlighted her rights to be a journalist. "It is our responsibility to cover the news but also if we are not respected we have a right to walk out. SS journalists will not be bullied or intimidated, it's been happening regularly and we were threatened to be finished one by one,” she quoted.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the interrogation of journalists while doing their job. We express our solidarity with Maura and Yom. We demand authorities end intimidating the journalists. Journalists must do their jobs freely and safely.
Yet it is our responsibility to cover the news but also if we are not respected we have a right to walk out. SS journalists will not be bullied or intimidated it's been happening regularly & we were threatened to be finished one by one. @peterlouis6 @DenisDumo
— mauraajak 89 _ماورة أجاك (@Maura_Ajak89) September 2, 2021
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
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