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Liberia tribunal:Journalist is POW
( 2002-10-25 09:43 ) (7 )

A military tribunal set up by President Charles Taylor has determined that a journalist arrested four months ago is a prisoner of war, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The five-member tribunal found that Hassan Bility, editor of the independent weekly Analyst, and about 10 others arrested June 24 are prisoners of war "given their role in prosecuting an illegitimate war against the government and people of Liberia," according to a ministry statement.

The ministry did not explain how the tribunal reached its decision on Bility, who was not arrested near a war zone and whose paper was frequently critical of the government.

Bility was arrested for allegedly plotting with rebels to assassinate Taylor. He has not been heard from since, and his location is unknown.

Human rights agencies say at least 10 other members of Bility's Mandingo tribe have also been detained on charges of helping rebels who seek to topple Taylor. Information Minister Reginald Goodridge has said Bility was "a central figure" in a plot to assassinate the president.

Authorities closed the paper briefly in February after it published an article accusing state security personnel of cracking down on government opponents.

Taylor, a former warlord, won elections in 1997 following a brutal seven-year civil war in the West African nation. He is a Boston-educated descendant of the freed American slaves who founded Liberia in 1847.

Taylor has said the rebels fighting him now include members of factions that fought against him during the civil war.

The fighting has forced about 200,000 people from their homes, according to the United Nations. Human rights organizations accuse both sides of abuses, including rapes, killings and the forced conscription of civilians.