The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) has learnt with great concern that four media personnel including a station’s Director working for a Catholic Radio Station in Rumbek, (Good News FM) in Lakes State, were assaulted by police on Saturday, June 19tt. 2021.
The Good News FM’s Director, said him and his radio station’s three staff went to a police station on the demand of the police officers to answer questions about an artist who had been detained at the facility in Rumbek, upon reaching the station, they were ordered by the police to declare everything they had, one of the media personnel happened to declare an audio recorder.
Upon seeing the audio recorder the police officers ordered all the media personnel to lie down, assaulted the media personnel and only stopped when a police captain, manning the station intervened.
The media personnel were later set free; they left the police station with all their equipment.
UJOSS strongly condemns the act by the police against the media personnel, whether the media personnel were suspects or not, there is no law in South Sudan that provides for assault of suspects.
UJOSS will be working diligently with South Sudan’s Government and other stakeholders to see that this issue is addressed with the attention that it deserves.
OYET PATRICK CHARLES,
UJOSS-President.
E-Mail: oyet@u-joss.org or info@u-joss.org or majak@u-joss.org
Tel: +211925440019
June 19th. 2021
