Community Empowerment for Progress Organization or CEPO strongly condemned the arrest of Maridi Community FM Radio, urging the state political leadership to ensure that freedom of press and media is not interfered with.
In a statement CRN obtained on Monday it reported that the national security personnel on January 1 arbitrarily arrested and detained Radio Manager Benedictson Ezikia James, of Maridi FM for 20 hours before releasing him.
CEPO urged authorities to take legal steps if any journalist or media house committed an offence but not arbitrary arresting and detaining him or her.
It warned that the arbitrary arrest and detention of the manager was a violation of the Transitional Constitution which stated that all levels of government shall guarantee the freedom of the press, other media as shall be regulated by law in a democratic society and that all media shall abide by professional ethics.
CEPO said Benedictson was detained for rejecting speeches of Maridi County Commissioner and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs during the New Year celebration in Maridi from state employed journalist.
It said Benedictson was captured immediately after rejecting and told the journalist who brought the speeches that he had the recorded audios already.
CEPO told state authorities that the freedom of press, right to information access and freedom of expression are paramount rights that require no arbitrary intervention.