By Amin Kef (Ranger)
Prince Christopher Kamara, a seasoned journalist and Senior Editor of Open Space Newspaper, was reportedly assaulted by a group of staff members at the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) premises on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The incident occurred while Kamara was following up on alleged reports of a planned strike action by SLBC employees.
According to Kamara, he had gone to the SLBC headquarters to cross-check the veracity of the strike claims. He initially held a professional exchange with the institution’s Deputy Director General, Asmieu Bah, in the presence of a senior staff member. Bah, according to Kamara, responded adequately to his inquiries and directed him to proceed downstairs to speak with the Director General.
However, upon reaching the lower floor, the situation turned violent.
Kamara recounted that a female staff member identified him as the writer of a previously published article in Open Space Newspaper, which had apparently sparked discontent among SLBC personnel. Despite attempts to clarify his journalistic intent, he was allegedly set upon by more than a dozen staff members—both male and female—who physically assaulted him within the SLBC Broadcasting House and the surrounding compound.
He sustained a head injury during the attack and was reportedly carried out of the building and forcibly ejected from the premises.
In response to the incident, Isaac Swen, Managing Editor of Open Space Newspaper, formally wrote to SLBC’s Director General, Madam Josephine Kamara, expressing outrage and concern over what he termed a “bloody beating” of his editor.
The letter, dated May 6, 2025, detailed the assault and urged the SLBC management to urgently investigate the matter and ensure justice is served. It emphasized the need to uphold press freedom and ensure the safety of journalists in Sierra Leone.
“We write to register our most contemptuous report about the beating of our Editor, Prince Christopher Kamara…by a number of SLBC workers right inside the SLBC Broadcasting House,” Swen wrote. “Editor Kamara is confident that he can easily identify his assailants who were both male and female.”
The case has since been reported to the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), and a formal complaint has also been lodged with the Sierra Leone Police at the New England Ville Police Station.
In copies of the complaint, Swen called on the Deputy Director General of SLBC, the Chairman of SLBC’s Board of Directors, the President of SLAJ, and the Chairman of the Guild of Editors to take appropriate action.
As of press time, the SLBC management has not issued an official response to the allegations.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation within the journalistic community, with calls mounting for a swift and transparent investigation. Observers fear that if such attacks go unaddressed, they could set a dangerous precedent for press freedom in the country.
