Former PUL Leaders Caution Supreme Court-Statement Warns Against Constitutional Overreach

A statement from former leaders of the Press Union of Liberia responding to the Supreme Court’s imprisonment of social media presenter Justin “Oldpa” Yeazean, widely known as Prophet Key, reflects Liberia’s ongoing struggle to balance judicial authority with constitutional freedoms. While endorsing the Court’s power to punish contempt rooted in abusive attacks on the Chief Justice and allegations of corruption without proof, the former PUL officials warned against selective justice and constitutional overreach. Their intervention highlights tensions between protecting institutional dignity and safeguarding speech in a post-criminal-libel era, where courts must command respect through fairness, transparency, and consistency while journalists navigate responsibility in an increasingly polarized digital public sphere. THE ANALYST reports.

Former leaders of the Press Union of Liberia have reacted to the Supreme Court of Liberia’s recent decision sentencing social media presenter Justin “Oldpa” Yeazean, popularly known as Prophet Key, to six months imprisonment for criminal contempt, cautioning against any approach that could be perceived as constitutional overreach while urging continued respect for judicial authority.

In a statement issued from the United States, Isaac D.E. Bantu, Emmanuel D. Abalo, and Gabriel I.H. Williams said they were responding to the February 13, 2026 ruling of the Supreme Court, which found Prophet Key guilty of contempt after a series of social media broadcasts in which he verbally attacked Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay and his mother with vulgar language and accused the Supreme Court of corruption without presenting evidence.

The former PUL leaders noted that when Prophet Key appeared before the full bench of the Court, he admitted wrongdoing and pleaded with the justices to temper justice with mercy. In its judgment, the Supreme Court emphasized constitutional provisions affirming that freedom of speech is guaranteed in Liberia but is not absolute and carries responsibility.

The Court held that Prophet Key’s public conduct, characterized by insults and indecent language directed at the judiciary, violated the bounds of protected expression.

The former union leaders said they welcomed the Court’s decision to penalize abusive language directed at the family of the Chief Justice and unsubstantiated claims of corruption against the Court, stressing that respect for judicial institutions is vital to democratic order. They observed that Prophet Key had been given the opportunity to present evidence in his defense but chose instead to admit wrongdoing, a circumstance they said reinforced the Court’s position.

They added that Liberia’s constitutional system depends on a judiciary that can decide disputes without intimidation.

When criticism crosses into personal degradation, they said, it fuels mob mentality, invites retaliation, and weakens respect for lawful authority. They called for public commentary grounded in facts and evidence rather than humiliation as a political tactic.

At the same time, the former PUL executives expressed concern about the speed of the contempt proceedings compared to the slower pace of other high-profile corruption cases involving allegations of theft of millions of United States dollars that remain unresolved before the courts. They said the judiciary must guard against any appearance of selective justice and ensure that its processes reflect consistency, transparency, and adherence to due process.

They also recalled Liberia’s 2019 passage of the Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act of Press Freedom, which removed criminal libel, sedition, and criminal malevolence from the Penal Law. In that context, they warned against the possibility of criminal punishment for speech re-emerging through indirect legal avenues such as contempt powers, urging vigilance to protect constitutional freedoms while maintaining decorum and responsibility in public discourse.

According to the statement, courts must command respect through integrity and reasoned decisions, while citizens and journalists must pursue accountability through lawful remedies and responsible reporting. The former PUL leaders called on media institutions to report judicial actions accurately without amplifying abusive language and to clearly distinguish between news reporting and commentary.

In the same statement, the former Press Union officials announced with sadness the passing of Mr. James Dorbor, former Financial Secretary of the Union. They recalled his decade-long service at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism and at the Liberia News Agency, where he was among the few professionally trained Liberian journalists in the French language, and his work as a correspondent for Agence France-Presse. They extended condolences to his family and acknowledged his contributions to journalism and mentorship in Liberia.