By Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe
Human Rights Advocate & Defender of Free Speech for Over 30 Years
Liberia awoke to headlines announcing that Speaker Richard N. Koon had apologized to journalists after threatening to order their arrest. Almost immediately, some government officials began celebrating the apology—an attempt to downplay a grave misuse of public authority, as though a simple “I’m sorry” could wipe away the implications of such an undemocratic act.
Let us be clear: an apology is not enough.
Threatening journalists is not a misstatement. It is not a joke. It is not a “moment of anger.”
It is a violation of the Constitution, an abuse of public office, and a dangerous echo of Liberia’s darkest political years.
HISTORY WARNED US — AND WE MUST LISTEN
This is not the first time a Liberian official has displayed intolerance toward the press. Our history has been scarred by it:
Journalist Tuan Wreh was jailed.
Pamphleteer Albert Porte was arrested multiple times.
Journalists Stanton Peabody, Isaac Bantu, Kwame Clement, Cyrus Bad, and many others were imprisoned, harassed, or silenced.
Student activists, labor leaders, and opposition voices were arrested, beaten, or even killed.
Every time a government official threatens the press, Liberia remembers those years—the fear, the censorship, the voices that disappeared forever.
Is that the path we want to walk again?
Threats are not harmless. They are always the first indicators of tyranny.
ANGER REVEALS CHARACTER — AND THIS ONE DID
Speaker Koon did not simply use the wrong words.
He exposed his mindset.
He revealed:
a disbelief in press freedom,
ignorance of constitutional limits,
disregard for the 2018 repeal of criminal speech laws, and
a dismissive attitude toward the country’s painful struggle for democracy.
No amount of public relations can hide what that moment revealed.
THE LAW IS CLEAR — AND HE VIOLATED IT
Speaker Koon took an oath to uphold the Constitution. His threat broke that oath.
Article 15(c) of the Constitution:
“There shall be no limitation on the public right to be informed about the government and its functionaries.”
How can journalists inform the public when the Speaker threatens to arrest them?
The Kamara A. Kamara Act of 2018:
Abolished criminal speech laws
Strengthened freedom of expression
Protects journalists from the very threats the Speaker issued
Speaker Koon did not just offend journalists—
he violated constitutional and statutory protections.
That is dishonorable for any elected official, but especially for the head of the House of Representatives.
AN APOLOGY WITHOUT ACTION IS MEANINGLESS
If Speaker Koon truly regrets his actions, he must:
Publicly commit never to threaten journalists again;
Respect the constitutional rights of all Liberians;
Uphold the dignity and responsibility of his office;
Read and understand Article 15(c);
Study the Kamara A. Kamara Act of 2018;
Demonstrate leadership consistent with democratic norms.
Words alone cannot repair the damage.
Only behavior can.
DEMOCRACIES DO NOT TOLERATE SUCH MISCONDUCT
In serious democracies:
In the UK, a minister resigned for insulting a police officer.
In Germany, a minister stepped down for attempting to influence media content.
In the United States, actions threatening press freedom trigger immediate legal and public consequences.
What Speaker Koon did would be unacceptable in any functioning democracy.
So why should Liberia accept it?
A MESSAGE TO MR. SPEAKER
Mr. Speaker, Liberia has endured too much tragedy born from intolerance.
We buried the days of anti-press oppression in 2018.
Do not resurrect them.
Heal the wound you created by affirming publicly that you will never again threaten journalists or undermine the constitutional freedoms you swore to protect.
The House you lead is called the Honorable House of Representatives.
Your conduct must reflect honor—not intimidation.
LIBERIA WILL NOT GO BACKWARD
Liberians have sacrificed too much to tolerate a return to the old order of fear and repression.
Backward never. Forward ever.
A better Liberia is possible—one where:
the press is free,
the law is respected, and
leaders model true democratic behavior.
Let the press do its work.
Let democracy breathe.
Let Liberia move forward—never back into the darkness.
