Guinea media protest gag on attack against president

The Guinean government has banned media from referring to an assassination bid against the president, press unions said Wednesday, denouncing a violation of the constitution. According to the unions citing the ban, the national communications council banned media from reporting on "the attack against the head of state, as well as any interactive broadcast of a political nature." The decision came into play on Monday and affects "all broadcasts and in all national languages in the country. It concerns all public and private information organs, radio, television, print and online media." On July 19, the home of president Alpha Conde was hit with a rocket in an attack by renegade soldiers in which a member of the presidential guard was injured. Thirty-eight people, including 25 soldiers, have been arrested in connection with the attack and are facing charges of attempted assassination. The Guinean Union of Free Radio and Television, Guinean Association of Editors of the Independent Media and Guinean Association of Online Media said they received the decision with "profound regret." In a statement, the unions called for "the pure and simple cancellation of this decision which is a violation of the constitution which recognises freedom of the press as one of the fundamental freedoms."