Movement for Democracy and Development
P. O. Box 500
Bronx, NY 10453
Email: [log in to unmask]

June 23rd 2006

Honorable Dr. Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of state
U.S. Department of State
2201 C St. NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Dr. Rice:

We, Gambians based in the United States, under the
umbrella of the Movement for Democracy and Development
(MDD) Organization in The Gambia, are writing to draw
your attention to the unlawful arrest and continuous
detention of a Human Rights lawyer Ms Mariam Jack
Denton who was arrested on March 24th, 2006 and is
detained at Mile 2 central prison in Banjul. She is
held in solitary confinement, incommunicado and
without charge.

Ms Denton is the Administrative Secretary for Legal
and Human Rights Affairs for the main opposition
United Democratic Party (UDP). With the presidential
elections less than 90 days ahead, her continuous
detention is seen as a way of preventing her legal
services to the Gambian community and particularly to
the opposition. She has always been a strong woman in
the courts challenging the Government’s unlawful
actions: denial of permit for the opposition to hold
rallies, unjustifiable arrest and detention of
opposition militants, representing (UDP) National
Assembly candidates on election petitions, and at
times providing free legal representation to the needy
ones.

We are very much concerned about the deepening
political and human rights abuses, widespread torture,
as well as the great number of alleged extrajudicial
killings of detainees by both the presidential guards
and agents of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

President Jammeh has no respect for the country’s
constitution which guarantees freedom of assembly and
expression, right to information and privacy, and
protections afforded by the Gambia’s supreme law
against arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of
individuals without trial.

Hon. Dr. Rice, in President Bush Inaugural address on
January 20th 2005, he said “The best hope for peace in
our world is the expression of freedom in the world.”
The convictions behind his words were challenged by
some dictators like the former Liberian president
Charles Taylor but where is Charles Taylor today? The
whole world has respected President Bush for standing
by his words and defending democracy and freedom
worldwide. We all know President Bush has played a
good roll in bring former Liberian President Charles
Taylor to trial. 

Hon. Dr. Rice, The Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh has
challenged President Bush by continuously suppressing
and oppressing the Gambian people. He has managed to
suspend freedom of the press, muzzling the Internet,
and severing channels of communication with the
outside world, he has turned Gambia into a prison with
2 million people. He continues to arrest and detain
opposition political figures, private journalists, and
Human Rights lawyers. President Jammeh’s actions are
detrimental to not only The Gambian people, but also
to President Bush efforts to increase freedom across
the world.

We, the concerned members of the Movement for
Democracy urge you to put the considerable moral force
of this great country where we have chosen to live,
and where some of us are citizens, behind the effort
to pressure the Gambia President to exercise democracy
and guarantee the fundamental rights of all Gambian
people provided by the Constitution. 

As President Bush said “There is only one force of
history that can break the height of hatred and
resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and
reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that
is the force of human freedom.”

Finally, we look forward to your urgent attention and
action to help secure the release of the Human Rights
lawyer Ms Mariam Jack Denton and give substance to
these powerful words of President Bush and your strong
voice in support of democracy and freedom of the press
in The Gambia.


Sincerely,
Signed:

Saihou Mballow
Chairperson

Cc: Africa Union
Cc: American Embassy Banjul
Cc: Amnesty International
Cc: Human Rights Watch
Cc: International Red Cross
Cc: CPJ
Cc: Reporters without borders
Cc: Gambia Media
Cc: Allgambian.Net
Cc: The Gambia Journal.com
Cc: Freedomnewspaper.com
Cc: Gambia List 

Cc: Gambia Post 
Cc: African Abroad News paper 
Cc: West African Newspaper




 

 

  
 


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