In the wake of the arrest of two journalists of an online media house, modernGhana, Journalists for Business Advocacy (JBA) has joined fellow colleagues to call for the immediate release of Mr. Ajafor Azunungu Emmanuel and one other journalist – Mr. Emmanuel Bretwum, both of the online news portal, ModernGhana.com, who have been under arbitrary arrest by the National Security since yesterday June 27, 2019.
Personnel who identified themselves as operatives from the National Security arrested the two journalists in their office in Accra without any proper explanation.
In a press issued by Journalists for Business Advocacy and signed by President Suleiman Mustapha and Vice President and Vice President Kofi Ahovi, the association condemned the act and demanded for the immediate release of these journalists.
“The JBA reiterates its demands to stop violence against journalism and journalists by the security agencies and ensure a safe working environment for journalists and freedom of speech in the country,” they added.
Below is the full statement
RELEASE RELEASE
JBA CALLS FOR THE RELEASE OF ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS AND ANOTHER JOURNALIST ARRESTED AND DETAINED BY NATIONAL SECURITY
The Journalists for Business Advocacy (JBA) calls for the immediate release of Mr. Ajafor Azunungu Emmanuel and one other journalist – Mr. Emmanuel Bretwum, both of the online news portal, ModernGhana.com, who have been under arbitrary arrest by the National Security since yesterday June 27, 2019.
Personnel who identified themselves as operatives from the National Security arrested the two journalists in their office in Accra without any proper explanation.
The JBA reiterates its demands to stop violence against journalism and journalists by the security agencies and ensure a safe working environment for journalists and freedom of speech in the country.
The arbitrary detention of these journalists is not an isolated case. In recent times, journalists have been under threat while others have lost their lives while performing their rightful duties. These include attacks on journalists and photojournalists, closure of some media enterprises and the destruction of equipments of journalists. The names of the late Ahmed Hussein-Suale and Manasseh Azure Awuni immediately come to mind.
The JBA therefore, condemns the detention of our colleagues who were discharging their professional duties. We demand their immediate release from those who are detaining them. We also call on the government, the National Media Commission (NMC), the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and Civil Societies to take these outrageous violations seriously. We reiterate our call to all parties involved to enforce the constitutional rights of journalists in this country to end the unnecessary attacks.
SIGNED SIGNED
Kofi Ahovi Suleiman Mustapha
Vice President President
Source : Ishmael Barfi
