Freed journalists leave Liberia

In this story: Released after "plea-bargaining" Why they had been arrested RELATED STORIES, SITES

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (CNN) -- Three journalists accused of spying in Liberia arrived back in Britain on Saturday after their release from prison in Monrovia.

Britons David Barrie and Zimbabwean-born Timothy John Lambon, and Sierra Leonean Sorious Samura, were allowed to leave the country after issuing an official apology to President Charles Taylor and the Liberian people.

The men were released on Friday and flew to Ivory Coast and then Paris, before traveling on to London.

A fourth member of the Channel 4 television crew, South African Gugulakhe Radebe, has returned to Johannesburg.

AUDIO Journalist Sorious Samura told CNN after being freed that he may return to Liberia in the future 677K/31 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Samura on the written apology issued to the Liberian government 788K/36 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Samura on the harsh treatment he received while jailed in Liberia 686K/31 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Listen to Liberian President Taylor comment on the arrest and release of the four journalists Part one: 437k/20 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Part two: 476k/23 sec. AIFF or WAV sound     MESSAGE BOARD Journalists at risk     ALSO Samura: 'Fresh air of freedom'

They had lived for a week under the threat of a possible death penalty being imposed after being charged with espionage while filming a documentary for the British Channel 4 television channel.

Taylor said the men were arrested because a script found in their possession allegedly contained "lies and slander" about Liberia and was essentially "yellow journalism."

He said the journalists had accused Liberia of diamond smuggling and gun running. "That's grounds for the United States and Britain to start military action against Liberia. That's grounds for sanctions," Taylor had said.

One of the four journalists, award-winning Sierra Leonean Sorious Samura, told CNN from Abidjan that it was "great to be out again, breathing fresh air. We are looking good."

He added that he had been threatened during his time in jail with a knife and left in darkness at times.

But he said the four had written the apology to the president "freely."

"We just wanted to get out and get on with our lives," he added.

CNN, which had hired the journalists to work on a separate documentary about migration in Africa, said it was "pleased" and "relieved" to hear that they had been freed and that a "peaceful and amicable resolution" had been found.

Eason Jordan, president of global newsgathering and international networks for CNN, added: "The safety of journalists is paramount to CNN, as it is to news organizations worldwide."

The human rights group Amnesty International also welcomed the news but called on Taylor's government to "respect the right to freedom of expression in all cases."

A spokesman added: "Amnesty International is still concerned about these latest attacks on freedom of the news media in Liberia."

The human rights group warned that human rights defenders and journalists in the country have frequently been arrested, threatened or forced into exile because of their work.

Released after "plea-bargaining"

Taylor, who has come under intense international pressure to release the four, said he had allowed them to go after "plea-bargaining" between the Liberian Government and the four's lawyers.

The four journalists are, clockwise from top left, David Barrie, Timothy John Lambon, Sorious Samura and Gugulakhe Radebe

The four were not being expelled and were free to remain in Liberia, Taylor said.

"From the government perspective, we have no problem with the journalists doing their work," he told CNN.

Those who had intervened to help gain the journalists' freedom included U.S. special envoy the Rev. Jesse Jackson, former South African President Nelson Mandela, and ex-world footballer of the year George Weah.

Justice Minister Eddington Varmah said the government agreed to drop the charges on "humanitarian grounds" and not for lack of evidence.

The release also came after Channel 4 had written to the president to apologize for the documents the four had been carrying which had offended Taylor.

The Channel 4 letter said: "Having explained the essence of the document, I fully understand that the contents of it will have caused deep offence and distress to yourself and to the people of Liberia.

"Both Channel 4 as an organization and the four journalists individually apologize unreservedly for the offence which has been caused."

The letter added that the filming project would be scrapped. A Channel 4 spokesman said he was "looking forward to welcoming the journalists home."

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said he was "grateful to all those friends in the international community who have supported our calls for the men's swift release."

Why they had been arrested

Taylor said the TV crew's script had been "hypothetical" and that "the journalists came here to fill in the blanks."

He said the script described a scene in which he drove the journalists to a diamond mine, a scenario he called "utterly impossible."

Liberian President Charles Taylor

"They even had me giving them gifts -- people I have never met," said Taylor.

He called the script "yellow journalism." Taylor said he wondered how much of the documentary "Cry Freetown," shot by Samura and shown on CNN, was hypothetical.

"Little countries do not have this luxury of defending themselves. We have to do it before the fact, not after the fact," said Taylor.

A spokesman for the government added that "the potential use of their prefabricated script, which they have referred to as a hypothetical outline of their documentary material, could have led to the indictment of Liberia and indelibly damaged the image of the president."

The four journalists had written to the Rev. Jackson asking for his help, saying they had been mistreated at the hands of their captors.

Taylor said he did not believe the four were mistreated and if he had evidence he would have Liberia's attorney general "take tough stands" against anyone involved.

The government said the journalists were been arrested for filming or attempting to produce a documentary in Liberia and asserted the country remains "media friendly" and has "nothing to conceal from the public."

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August 22, 2000
Journalists appear in Liberian court on spying charges
August 22, 2000
TV crew arrested in Liberia on spying charges
August 20, 2000
Four journalists held on spying charges in Liberia
August 20, 2000

Friends of Liberia
Republic of Liberia
Channel 4 Television
Cry Freetown
Committee to Protect Journalists -- Press Freedom Online
International Journalists' Network
Amnesty International

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