SLBC Staff Accused of Assaulting Open Space Newspaper Editor

Prince Christopher Kamara, a journalist with Open Space Newspaper, was reportedly assaulted by a group of staff members at the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The incident occurred while Kamara was investigating a potential strike action by SLBC employees.

According to Kamara, he visited SLBC headquarters to verify reports of the planned strike. He engaged in a professional discussion with SLBC Deputy Director General Asmieu Bah, in the presence of a senior staff member. Bah reportedly addressed Kamara’s inquiries and directed him to speak with the Director General on the lower floor.

However, upon reaching the lower level, the situation allegedly escalated. Kamara claims a female staff member identified him as the author of a previous Open Space Newspaper article that had caused discontent among SLBC staff. Despite his attempts to explain his journalistic intentions, Kamara alleges that he was attacked by more than a dozen SLBC employees, both male and female, within the Broadcasting House and its surrounding compound.

Kamara sustained a head injury during the assault and was reportedly forcibly removed from the building.

Isaac Swen, Managing Editor of Open Space Newspaper, has formally protested the incident in a letter to SLBC Director General Madam Josephine Kamara, describing the assault as a “bloody beating” of his editor.

The letter, dated May 6, 2025, calls for an urgent investigation into the matter and demands that justice be served. Swen emphasized the importance of upholding press freedom and ensuring 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, adding that Kamara is confident he can identify his assailants.

The incident has been reported to the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and a formal complaint has been filed with the Sierra Leone Police at the New England Ville Police Station. Copies of the complaint have been sent to key stakeholders, including the SLBC Deputy Director General, the Chairman of SLBC’s Board of Directors, the President of SLAJ, and the Chairman of the Guild of Editors.