Africa-Press – Liberia. In a strongly worded statement issued Wednesday, the PUL, through its President Julius Kanubah, warned that the Speaker’s comments constitute a dangerous abuse of public office and an attempt to weaponize state authority against journalists exercising constitutionally protected duties.
The Press Union of Liberia says recent threats issued by House Speaker Richard Koon to “grab” and “jail” journalists covering the Legislature are a disturbing new milestone in what it describes as a rising wave of hostility toward the press in Liberia.
In a strongly worded statement issued Wednesday, the PUL, through its President Julius Kanubah, warned that the Speaker’s comments constitute a dangerous abuse of public office and an attempt to weaponize state authority against journalists exercising constitutionally protected duties.
The alarm follows a tense exchange on Tuesday when Speaker Koon warned reporters covering the House of Representatives not to record discussions taking place outside of an official plenary sitting.
“Anything you record from here, we will deal with you… When we grab your, when we don’t put your in jail, your mon should change my name,” Speaker Koon threatened, insisting that the session was “not legal” because a quorum had not been reached.
The PUL described the remarks as “frightening” and said they expose a troubling mindset among certain public officials who remain inclined toward intimidation, harassment, and censorship—evoking Liberia’s darker, authoritarian past.
PUL: ‘Weaponizing State Power to Silence Journalists’
According to the PUL, Speaker Koon’s threats undermine the constitutional guarantees enshrined under Article 15, which protect press freedom and affirm the public’s right to know how government officials conduct themselves in open legislative sessions.
“Speaker Koon must be told that every open session in the Chamber legally allows journalistic coverage,” the Union said. “His threats represent an attempt to restrict public access to information and silence scrutiny.”
The organization noted that the Speaker’s language—laced with warnings of arrest and detention—suggests an alarming disregard for democratic norms and the role of the media in holding leaders accountable.
Meetings with Speaker’s Office: ‘Joke or No Joke’
In response to the controversy, PUL President Julius Kanubah on Wednesday held in-person engagements with the Speaker’s Office through Media Adviser Vehzelee Sumo, House Information Committee Chairman Rep. Emmanuel Dahn, and Director of the House Press Bureau Robert Haynes.
According to the PUL, Speaker Koon’s office later claimed the remarks were made “without malice” and that he had “no intention to muzzle the press.”
Rep. Dahn further characterized the Speaker’s outburst as a “joke.”
But the PUL rejected those justifications outright.
“Joke or no joke, with or without malice, Speaker Koon must issue an immediate retraction and a public apology,” the Union demanded, calling the remarks “uncouth” and “anti-press.”
Journalists Urged to Stand Firm
Despite the growing hostility, the PUL urged journalists assigned to the Legislature not to be intimidated but to remain steadfast in pursuing public-interest reporting from the nation’s premier decision-making body.
The Union emphasized that journalists have a duty to keep the public informed and must not allow threats—whether made in jest or seriousness—to deter them.
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