Mo, thanks for your post.  This is not coming from those of us that speak
out against this regime, but an independent international body.  It is also
another example to those in denial that the government they champion is
nothing but a criminal enterprise.

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou


>From: Momodou Camara <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: FWD:Amnesty Report Makes 'Damning Indictment' of Government
>Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 12:39:37 -0500
>
>Amnesty Report Makes 'Damning Indictment' of Government
>
>The Independent (Banjul)
>NEWS
>June 24, 2002
>Posted to the web June 25, 2002
>Banjul
>
>The Gambia's human rights situation remains a 'damning indictment' of the
>APRC government, which is claiming a complete return to democracy and the
>rule of law following last October's presidential poll according to Amnesty
>International in its recently released Annual Country Report on Hu man
>Rights Practices here.
>
>Amnesty International, which still holds that the country's human rights
>never remarkably improved over the past twelve months renewed its
>criticisms of the APRC government, saying the continuing spate of arbitrary
>arrests, detention and brutalities allegedly committed by soldiers is
>giving rise to more genuine concern over the safety, security and welfare
>of citizens despite the return to democracy.
>
>The AI report listed a number of human rights violations, which it said
>were left unchecked and unresolved in 2001, leading to a hostile political
>environment that denied democratic freedoms to individuals deemed to be
>opponents of Yahya Jammeh's administration.
>
>It said that the human rights situation is the most damning indictment of a
>regime claiming complete restoration of democracy and the rule of law.
>
>According to the report, members of the security forces committed serious
>abuses against unarmed civilians, which in most cases were not prosecuted,
>or their perpetrators punished. It listed a number of arbitrary arrests,
>torture and detention without charge of journalists of the private
>independent media, opposition sympathizers and rights defenders over the
>stipulated 72-hour period. It also highlighted what it called the
>government's failure or reluctance to conduct investigations into the
>circumstances surrounding those abuses.
>
>Among those abuses listed are the arrest, torture and detention
>incommunicado of Dodou Kassa Jatta a member of the UDP youth wing by the
>National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in April for two weeks, the arrest and
>torture of Alhagie Mbye a former reporter with The Independent in August
>and November for nine days without charge by the NIA and the arrest and
>incommunicado detention for five days of Mohammed Lamin Sillah Amnesty
>International Gambian Branch's secretary General.
>
>It also chronicled the mass arrest by the NIA and the police in October of
>over 40 opposition sympathisers following the presidential elections and
>the beating in July of The Independent court reporter Omar Bah by soldiers
>at the Yundum Army Barracks as he tried to attend the court martial hearing
>of Lt Landing Sanneh.
>
>The Amnesty International report also catalogued a number of prolonged
>detentions at the Mile Two Prisons of suspected coup plotters some of whom
>includes four out of the five members of the Army extradited from Senegal
>in 1997 to face charges in connection with an attack on the Kartong
>military post in July 1997, Lt Landing Sanneh from January 2000 to
>September 2001 after being accused of plotting to stage a palace coup. It
>also pointed out the continuous detention since June 2000 of Dumo Sarho, Lt
>Lalo Jaiteh, Lt Omar Darboe, Momodou Marena, and Baboucarr Yarboe who were
>also accused of planning to overthrow the APRC government.
>
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