2010-02-12 10:26:23 President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and
Government of ECOWAS
Aso Rock, Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Your Excellency,
APPEAL FOR ECOWAS INTERVENTION
The Gambia Press Union wishes to table an appeal for the intervention of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, ably chaired by your Excellency, on the situation in The Gambia on the case of seven Gambian journalists remanded in State Prison for responding to statements made by Gambian Head of State, President Yahya Jammeh on national television, Tuesday, June 8. The group, namely GPU Secretary General, Emil Touray, Vice President Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, and Treasurer, Pa Modou Faal; together with Pap Saine and Ebrima Sawaneh, Publisher and Editor of The Point newspaper respectively; And, Sam Sarr, Editor and Abubcarr Saidykhan Reporter, Foroyaa newspaper were Thursday June 19 charged with three counts of 1) Conspiracy to publish seditious publication contrary to Section 368 of Criminal Code. 2) Publishing seditious publication contrary to Section 51, sub-section 1 A read together with Section 52, sub-section 1C of Criminal Code, engaging Foroyaa, and 3) Publishing Seditious Publication contrary to Section 51 sub-section 1 A read together with Section 52, sub-section 1C of Criminal Code, engaging The Point.
We humbly ask that you request the Gambian authorities to drop the charges.
Your Excellency, earlier this week, the Union wrote to you requesting for intervention re: the arrest and incommunicado detention of the seven journalists by the Gambia National Intelligence Agency (NIA) from Monday, June 15th 2009 to Thursday, June 19th following a Union press release of Thursday, June 11th in response to comments by President Yayha Jammeh on the death of slain Gambian journalist Deyda Hydara and the state of Freedom of Expression in The Gambia. During those three days, all seven journalists were denied legal representation; they even appeared in Court without the authorities notifying the Union lawyer despite several unsuccessful attempts Counsel(s) made to have access to them since their arrest.
Your Excellency, we do understand that in this one day Summit, your schedule is full, with focus on the developments in the most politically fragile countries and other economic issues. However, we consider the situation in The Gambia an emergency and a grave danger to the stability, peace and security that have been the hallmarks of The Gambia, since Independence in 1965.
Your Excellency, we also wish to bring to your attention that whilst the ECOWAS Community is seeking greater harmony and peace in the sub-region, The Gambia, a part and parcel of this Community has in the recent past, seen a sharp upward trend of media abuses, its related human rights violations and gross basic human rights violations. Rights guaranteed by the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia and rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human People’s Rights to which ECOWAS and its member states are signatory. The Union therefore humbly calls on your Excellency, in your capacity as Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government and through you, your fellow heads of state and government to intervene and call for the state to drop the charges against all seven, one of whom is a nursing mother.
We also wish to urge your Excellency, once again to call on the Gambian Government and its relevant security institutions to cease the continuous harassment and intimidation of journalists; and, to respect, promote and defend the rights of journalists. We wish you successful Summit deliberations and look forward to your Excellency\'s timely intervention.
Yours faithfully
Ms Ndey Tapha Sosseh
GPU President
CC: Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, President, ECOWAS Commission
2010-02-12 10:23:35 Amnesty honors Manneh, others at Media Awards
Amnesty International paid special recognition last week to Ebrima B. Manneh, a Gambian journalist who has disappeared, at its prestigious annual Media Awards ceremony in London. As Amnesty International UK\'s campaigner for individuals at risk in Africa, I was thrilled to be present at the awards ceremony and to watch BBC News TV presenter Mishal Husain introduce a film clip about Manneh\'s tragic case in front of hundreds of world-class journalists and human rights activists.
Manneh, right, received special recognition in Amnesty\'s Special Award for Journalism Under Threat category. The award pays tribute to the courage of journalists around the world who pursue their work at great personal risk. Its purpose is to draw attention to the dangers that journalists encounter. The winner of the Special Award this year was Eynulla Fatullayev from Azerbaijan, who is currently serving an eight and a half year sentence because of his outspoken journalism and criticism of government policies in that country. Manneh and Cuban journalist Pablo Pacheco Avila were highlighted for special recognition in the category.
Manneh\'s case deserves this recognition. In July 2006, he was working at the office of the Daily Observer newspaper when plainclothes officers asked him to accompany them for questioning. Since then, he\'s been held incommunicado. It is believed that he was arrested for attempting to publish a BBC article that was critical of the government.
There have been few sightings of him since. In one case, a year after his arrest, a witness reported that Manneh, accompanied by police officers, was receiving treatment for high blood pressure at a local hospital. What a scandal, though: The government is still denying all knowledge of his whereabouts.
A West African Court evidently believes that Ebrima is in government custody. In 2008, the court held that Ebrima\'s right to liberty and fair trial had been violated and that his arrest was illegal. The court ordered that he be released without delay and that the government pay him compensation. No response from the government on that one.
Having talked to Manneh\'s family on a number of occasions, this case fills me with a sense of horror. Manneh supported his whole family with his journalism. Since he\'s been gone, they\'ve suffered financially. But the financial aspect is just one part of a terrible situation: Imagine the pain of not knowing when your son or brother is coming home. Imagine not knowing whether he\'s dead or alive, or whether he\'s been tortured. In fact, it\'s impossible for me to really imagine the full impact of what it must be like for them.
We\'re hoping that honoring Manneh at the Amnesty Media Awards will serve as an embarrassment to the Gambian government and encourage them to think again. To keep the pressure on, I really hope you can take action for Manneh and help secure his freedom.
You\'ll see that we\'ve launched a photo action campaign for Manneh. We\'re gathering creative photos from all around the world asking the very simple question: Where is Ebrima Manneh? We want the Gambian government to provide the answer. So far we\'ve collected more than 100 pictures that we\'ll make into a photo album to present to the Gambian authorities on a day of action on July 22. I hope you can take part.
By Kali Mercier/Amnesty International UK 2010-02-12 10:20:59 GPU, GAMBIAN JOURNALISTS UNDER SIEGE
The Gambia Press Union wishes to express its most profound disappointment over the National Intelligence Agency questioning of three of its senior Executive members namely, Emil Touray, Secretary General; Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, Vice President and Pa Modou Faal, Treasurer who have spent all day today at the National Intelligence Agency Headquarters were they are being questioned.
Pap Saine, Publisher of The Point Newspaper and Ebrima Sawaneh, Editor of The Point are also at the NIA headquarters. Sam Sarr and Abubcarr Saidy Khan Editor and Reporter, Foroyaa Newspaper were also picked up for questioning around 7.30 GMT. This move comes four days after the Union issued a statement in response to inappropriate comments made by Head of State, President Jammeh on slain Gambian journalist, Deyda Hydara and the state of Freedom of Expression in The Gambia. It is certainly unbelievable that less than a week after President Jammeh has pronounced The Gambia as a state where one can freely exercise their rights to Freedom of Expression as enshrined in Section 207 of The 1997 Constitution and various regional and international treaties, the NIA find it fitting to resort to their usual tactics of unnecessary high handedness in the face of truth. We firmly stand by our statements of Thursday, June 11 and are today, more than ever before determined to remain steadfast, courageous, and, to speak the truth, only the truth and nothing but the truth.
We also reiterate our call on the Gambia Government and its relevant security institutions to cease the unnecessary and continued embarrassment and harassment of journalists; And, to respect, promote and defend the rights of journalists. Rights enshrined in the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia, Article 9 of The African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also demand the immediate and unconditional release of our colleagues. The Union also calls on all Gambians of conscience to rally behind the media in the knowledge that this is not only suppression of freedom of the media but suppression of all Gambians, who have the right to access information and to be duly informed. It is our individual and collective duty to build a democratic Gambia that ensures the provision of all our inalienable and indivisible human rights in a bid to attain our liberty, dignity and prosperity.
Ndey Tapha Sosseh, GPU President
NOTE TO EDITORS
Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, GPU Vice President is a nursing mother with an infant of about six months.
Sam Sarr, Editor of Foroyaa Newspaper is an advisor to the GPU Executive and serves as interim coordinator of The Gambia Editor’s Forum.
Pa Modou Faal, GPU Treasurer is the President of the Association of Health Journalists and Coordinator of AMMREN (Africa Malaria Media Research Network) The Gambia.
Pap Saine, Publisher of The Point Newspaper was today, June 15 acquitted by the Banjul Magistrate’s Court on charges of False Citizenship
email: gpu@qanet.gm url: www.gambiapressunion.org
2010-02-12 10:14:22 Amnesty International, TUC & National Union of Journalists
PROTESTORS CALL TO END THE ‘SHAM’ OF FREEDOM DAY BY ALLOWING FREE SPEECH IN GAMBIA
Dozens of protestors took part in a demonstration outside the Gambian High Commission in London to call for free speech in Gambia on the eve of the country’s national holiday, Freedom Day (22 July). The demonstration – organised by Amnesty International, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) – formed part of a series of events taking place around the world to highlight the sharp increase in recent years of media repression in the west African country, including the ongoing trial of seven journalists and the ‘disappearance’ of another, Ebrima B. Manneh. Ebrima Manneh was arrested in July 2006 by plainclothes police officers. It is believed that he was arrested for attempting to publish a news article that criticised the Gambian government. Since his arrest the government and police officials have denied that he is in custody. Mr Manneh was paid special recognition at Amnesty International’s 2009 Media Awards in the category of Special Award for Journalism Under Threat. Amnesty International UK Campaigns Director Tim Hancock said: “It’s an absolute sham to celebrate Freedom Day in a country where journalists and others in the media are not allowed to freely express their opinions or views. “We regularly hear of journalists and others who dare to express their views facing persecution and an array of abuses, including unlawful arrest, arbitrary and incommunicado detention, and torture. “Three years on after his arrest we still do not know what has become of Ebrima Manneh. “If the President really wants to celebrate Freedom Day this year, he should immediately call for the release of Ebrima Manneh, urge the authorities to stop harassing journalists and activists across Gambia and to drop all legal charges against them.” Since 1994, at least 27 journalists have left Gambia, more than half of them in the last two years, and at least ten of them have been granted asylum in other countries. One of the ways in which the government in Gambia stifles political and social dissent is through restricting freedom of expression. Journalists are detained and unlawfully arrested if suspected of providing information to news sources or for writing stories that are unfavourable to the authorities. Newspapers and news websites have been closed down or hacked into. Journalists and members of the opposition are frequently harassed, threatened, and unlawfully killed. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Freedom of speech and freedom of association are fundamental human rights, and journalists who are also trade unionists are often targeted twice over by repressive regimes. “I hope that the Gambian Government will respond to worldwide protests by recognising that a free press and a free trade union movement are the hallmarks of democracy, and vital for development.” The seven journalists currently on trial are charged with sedition (or incitement to public disorder) after criticising President Yahya Jammeh for remarks that bluntly refuted government involvement in the unsolved 2004 murder of Deydra Hydara, former editor of The Point newspaper. Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary said: “Our colleagues in the Gambia Press Union need our support more than ever, with journalists in court on the eve of Gambia\'s Freedom Day facing charges of sedition, just because they have spoken out. “Media workers in the country have disappeared, been killed in mysterious circumstances and arrested. How can the government claim to celebrate freedom when the press continues to face such a repressive regime? “The Gambian authorities must recognise that a free media plays a crucial role in a society with respect for human rights. These threats to journalists and journalism must be lifted.” At the demonstration, representatives from Amnesty International, the TUC and NUJ handed into the Gambian High Commission a letter and photo album compiled by activists from around the world who asked the question ‘Where is Ebrima?’. The images can be seen on www.whereisebrima.org.
Notes to the Editor
1. Freedom Day takes place every year on 22 July in The Gambia
2. Hundreds of activists from 12 different countries worldwide – including Senegal, Burkino Faso, Mali and the United States – will draw attention to the lack of political freedom and the widespread human rights violations in Gambia.
3. The human rights situation, which has been deteriorating since 1994, has worsened since the last foiled coup plot in March 2006.
4. A well-known opposition leader, Halifa Sallah, wrote articles for Forayaa, the main opposition newspaper in Gambia, and criticised the government’s accusations of ‘witchcraft’ earlier this year (March 2009) after more than 1,000 people accused of ‘witchcraft’ were reportedly kidnapped from their villages and taken to secret detention centres to be beaten and forced to drink potions which caused chronic illness and death. Halifa Sallah was detained, charged with treason and held in Mile 2 Central Prison. After significant outside pressure, all charges were dropped and he was released.
2010-02-12 10:10:13 PRESS STATEMENT ON THE GAMBIAN HUMAN RIGHT SITUATION
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) a leading non-governmental organization working within the West African sub-region has observed with great concern the appalling abuse of human rights and freedoms in The Gambia in recent years especially following the alleged foiled coup of March 2006 against President Yahya AJJ Jameh who gained power in 1994 via a military coup but has been elected President in 1996 and has amended the Gambian constitution in 1997 to remove tenure limits. The CDD also observed that the government of Yahya Jameh utilized the said coup to crackdown on real and perceived opponents including lawyers and journalists, for example: the entire staff of the Independent newspaper were arrested on 28th March 2006 and the newspaper closed. The CDD is appalled by the inhuman and unlawful manner in which the citizens are arrested and held for extended periods (over and above the 72 hours allowed by The Gambian Constitution) without being charged to court and often without being told their crimes. Many of the suspected coup plotters (along with their spouses and relatives) were held in secret and unlawful detention facilities while others were held along with other convicted criminals in the Mile 2 State Central Prison. These actions of the police, the army and the National Intelligence Agency clearly contravenes Chapter IV, section 19 of The Gambian Constitution (1997) and the procedure it sets for arrests and trials of citizens as well as major international agreements and statutes.
The posture of the government of Yahya Jammeh on human rights has resulted in unlawful arrests, unlawful detention, torture, enforced disappearances and feared extra-judicial execution of citizens (such as the fate of the 5 suspected coup plotters who reportedly ‘escaped’ from detention in March 2006, but have not been heard of since) as well as harassment and sustained campaign against other West Africans in The Gambia, worthy of note are the 44 Ghanaian victims of human trafficking who were intercepted by security operatives in the Gambia but were later executed. The CDD is also concerned about the deteriorating state of press freedoms in The Gambia, arrests of journalist including Chief Ebrimah Manneh, a reporter who disappeared after being arrested by NIA in July 2006 and is yet to be released by The Gambian government in spite of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice ruling to that effect in June 2008 and the current trial of officials of the Gambia Press Union (GPU). These and other actions such as the official ‘witch-hunt’ and the arrest of prominent opposition politicians like Halifah Sallah have elicited concern from the AU Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, as well as non-governmental organizations. The CDD is particularly alarmed about the sacking of the Chief Justice and other judges of the Supreme and High Court and the Gambia Government’s strategy to recruit and replace them with Nigerian Judges to perpetuate Executive interference of the judiciary, abuse of power and a clear disregard for the independence of the judiciary. The current conduct of and the likelihood of the ‘non-transparent’ nature of contracts with these judges to be used to desecrate the independence of the judiciary is overtly apparent. In particular, the CDD would like to draw urgent attention to the following:
1. The persistent disregard on the part of The Gambian government of the decisions of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.
2. The recruitment and role of Nigerian judges in the perpetration of human right abuse in The Gambia.
3. The campaign against other West Africans in The Gambia which is against the letter and spirit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and Goods.
CDD hereby calls on:
A. the Gambian government to immediately:
1. Comply with the decision of the ECOWAS community court of Justice by releasing Chief Ebrima Manneh and pay the appropriate compensations.
2. Implement the recommendations of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ rights on the Human Rights Situation in The Gambia of November 2008
3. Ensure the full application of the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance.
B. ECOWAS to:
1. To condemn the total disregard of the judgment of the Community Court by The Gambian government.
2. Prioritize deteriorating human rights situation in The Gambia in the agenda of the next Head of States summit.
3. Evolve more proactive measures in addressing violations and lack of respect for ECOWAS statutes and protocols by The Gambian government.
C.The Nigeria Government to:
1. To use their influence as the chair of ECOWAS and ‘big brother’ to The Gambia to ensure The Gambia government abide by democratic practices and respect for human rights.
2. To investigate the Nigerian judges serving in The Gambia in order to ensure they meet the ethical standards and resist any forms of interference.
3. To mount pressure on The Gambian government to stop repression of the press and other human rights violations.
Jibrin Ibrahim, Ph.D.
Director.
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