RiverCess Court Reverses Wrongful Detention of Liberian Journalist

(September 15, 2025): The Cestos Magisterial Court in RiverCess County has overturned its earlier decision to jail journalist Eric Opa Doue, following widespread condemnation of the ruling as a misapplication of the law.

Magistrate Dixon Yeahgar had controversially sentenced journalist Doue to 30 days in prison on a charge of criminal coercion. The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) denounced the charge as baseless and insisted the law had been wrongly applied, calling for his immediate release.

Although the reasons for the reversal remain unclear, the decision came just one day after the Union’s strong public condemnation and broad calls for justice.

Attorney-at-Law Bruce Boweh, who represented journalist Doue at the Union’s request, confirmed that the release was in accordance with the law and followed a series of interventions. The PUL commends all who contributed to this outcome.

Speaking by phone on September 12, 2025, shortly after regaining his freedom, journalist Doue expressed relief and gratitude. “I am happy to be free again,” he told the Union, thanking the PUL and all who intervened on his behalf.

The PUL also acknowledges that journalist Eric Doue and his colleague Methusaleh Gaye erred in their August 11, 2025 reporting, in which they wrongly alleged that Police Officer Ojuku Weeks had been arrested with narcotics and bribed the Yarpah Town Magisterial Court for his release.

Nevertheless, the Union maintains that charging the journalists with criminal coercion was unjustified, since no such crime had been committed.

Moving forward, the PUL has pledged to work with its legal counsel and stakeholders in RiverCess to strengthen relations between the media and local authorities, to foster mutual respect in the advancement of the public good

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 M. 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.

September 8, 2025: Journalist Eric Opa Doue was sentenced to 30 days in jail by Magistrate Dixon Yeahgar despite the in-chambers settlement that led the journalist to retract the publication with an apology.

On September 12, 2025: Journalist Eric Opa Doue was released from further detention after spending four nights in prison.

Signed:

Julius Kanubah

President/PUL