(September 10, 2025): The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) strongly condemns the wrongful sentencing of Liberian journalist Eric Opa Doue to 30 days in prison on a baseless charge of criminal coercion by the Cestos City Magisterial Court in Rivercess County.
On Monday, September 8, 2025, Magistrate Dixon Yeahgar ordered journalist Doue jailed, in what the PUL describes as a calculated scheme by certain judicial and state actors to intimidate, harass, and silence independent journalists.
The Union is deeply concerned that Magistrate Yeahgar, acting in concert with the newly appointed County Attorney of Rivercess, Martin Tumoe, and police officer Ojuku Weeks, blatantly ignored an earlier in-chambers settlement.
Under that arrangement, journalist Doue was mandated to retract and apologize for his publication concerning Officer Weeks — a requirement he evidently complied with through multiple retractions and public apologies.
Despite this, these justice actors still pressed ahead to have him handcuffed and imprisoned, subjecting him to humiliation.
“Frankly, Magistrate Yeahgar has committed a grave misapplication of justice by wrongly detaining the journalist under a charge that has nothing to do with the facts of the case. He has allowed himself to be used as an instrument of intimidation against the press,” the PUL declared.
The Union views this action as an abuse of judicial power, which undermines the recent pledges by newly installed Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay to ensure fair and impartial application of the rule of law.
The PUL further questions the discriminatory handling of a similar case involving journalist Methuselah Gaye, who published a similar story and later retracted and apologized.
Gaye was set free and had the charges dropped.
“This contradiction strongly suggests that journalist Doue is being targeted for his history of critical reporting on governance issues in Rivercess County,” the Union emphasized.
What makes this case even more troubling is the timing of Attorney Tumoe’s recent appointment as Rivercess County Attorney by President Joseph Boakai, raising serious public concern over whether the jailing of journalist Doue was a reward for his persecution.
The PUL calls for the immediate release of journalist Eric Opa Doue, stressing that he is not a criminal and should never have been jailed under false pretenses.
Meanwhile, journalist Doue’s lawyer, Attorney Bruce Boweh, who is working at the request of the PUL, has expressed disappointment in the court’s decision, noting that despite a mutually agreed settlement, the Court still chose to send the journalist to jail.
The ongoing detention of journalist Doue marks the fourth attempts to have him placed behind bars since August 13, 2025 in order to suppress his freedom of press and expression.
Background and timeline:
August 13, 2025: Eric Opa Doue was arrested by court sheriffs at the direction of Associate Magistrate Debah Zuku Debah of the Yarpah Town Magisterial Court. Following his release on the same day, he was instructed to reappear on August 18, 2025, which he did but without a lawyer. He was subsequently informed by the Magistrate to re-appear with a legal counsel by August 20, 2025, or risks re-arrest.
August 14, 2025: Methuselah Gaye was detained following a complaint by police officer Ojuku Weeks, who filed a criminal coercion charge as a private prosecutor. Officer Weeks alleged that the journalists had published “false allegation” linking him to narcotics possession and bribery.
August 15, 2025: Journalist Gaye was temporary released after posting bail without legal counsel, while Eric Opa Doue was taken to prison on 15 August 2025, at Cestos Prison, unable to immediately pay the cash bond.
August 16, 2025: Eric was released, based on personal recognizance, after spending a night in jail.
August 20, 2025: The Yarpah Town Magisterial Court dropped the “criminal contempt of court” charge against journalists Eric Opa Doue and Methuselah Gaye after legal representation and concerted advocacy efforts by the PUL.
September 3, 2025: Both journalists Eric Opa Doue and Methusaleh Gaye appeared before the Cestos City Magisterial Court as part of the start of hearings into the charge of Criminal Coercion filed by police officer Ojuku Weeks.
During the hearings, the Cestos City Magisterial Court dropped the criminal coercion charge against Methuselah Gaye at the request of the State Prosecutor or County Attorney, Martin N. Tumoe, acting on behalf of officer Weeks, a private prosecutor.
The decision to drop the charge against journalist Gaye was made because the State Prosecutor said he was apologetic and remorseful unlike his colleague Eric Opa Doue.
However, an in-chambers settlement was reached for Eric to apologize and retract his publication, and then re-appear before the court with evidence, something he did, but was yet sentenced to 30-days in prison because he did not submit a hardcopy of the newspapers in which the publications were made.
Signed:
Julius Kanubah
President/PUL
