UN Condemns Repression of Media Freedom in Guinea: Calls for Immediate Action
The United Nations expresses concern over increasing media repression in Guinea, as the military-led authorities crackdown on journalists, censor news websites, and block social media. UN calls for immediate change.
The United Nations has raised an alarm over the increased repression of media freedom in Guinea, urging the military-led authorities to change course immediately. The UN's concerns come as restrictions on non-official media have multiplied since May, with social networks and private radio stations being cut off, news websites interrupted or suspended and journalists detained. Volker Turk, the UN Human Rights Chief, highlighted how journalists have been harassed, intimidated, assaulted, and arrested, with their equipment seized and broadcast transmissions blocked.
Access to several social media sites has been blocked and internet access restricted, further stifling the freedom of expression and opinion. The UN Human Rights Office has called for these restrictions to be promptly halted and for the right to freedom of expression and opinion to be fully upheld. The transitional authorities in Guinea have cited national security to justify their curbs on the media and online communication platforms. Guinea, despite being rich in minerals such as gold and bauxite, remains one of the least developed countries in the world.
Since September 2021, the country has been governed by a military junta that deposed the first democratically-elected president. The UN Human Rights Office emphasized that these excessive restrictions on fundamental freedoms are only serving to shrink civic space and roll back respect for human rights. The affected media includes the Guinee Matin and Africa Guinee websites, French pay-TV provider Canal Plus and private radio stations Fim FM and Djoma FM.
Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok have been blocked since at least November 24, while internet access has been restricted for several months. Guinea currently ranks 85th out of 180 countries in the world press freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders in 2023. The UN Human Rights Office has strongly urged the transitional authorities in Guinea to take all necessary steps to immediately correct this worrying situation.
