Ebrima Ceesay:
You are mentioned here.  But this is indeed a point of reference for future 
events.  Systematic torture and harassment in 1996

THE GAMBIA: THE GOVERNMENT MUST PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS DURING THE FORTHCOMING 
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

.The Gambian Government should ensure that the human rights violations which 
took place in the recent presidential election are not repeated during the 
parliamentary elections to be held on 2 January , Amnesty International said 
today .    “The intimidation, harassment and violence directed at political 
opponents by the armed forces and the security police -- the National 
Intelligence Agency (NIA) -- which took place in the days leading up to the 
presidential election in September 1996 must not happen again,” the 
organization said. “Gambian citizens should be able to express their opinions 
freely without fear of reprisal .”    Amnesty International has already 
received news that Ebrima Cessay, the news editor of the Daily Observer, has 
left the Gambia in fear of arrest. The organization also fears that the 
recent clashes provoked by government supporters against opposition 
supporters in Talinding, Serrakunda, on 16 December may re-occur . During the 
clashes the government brought in a special squad and violence ensued. 
    Some of the worst violations took place in the run-up to the presidential 
elections. On the evening of 22 September, four days before the election, 
supporters of the main opposition party, the United Democratic party (UDP), 
were stopped on the Denton Bridge in the capital, Banjul, by armed soldiers 
under the personal command of Captain Yankuba Touray, the campaign manager 
for the political party established by the ruling Armed Forces Provisional 
Ruling Council (AFPRC) and also the Minister for Local Government. Gun-shots 
were fired and opposition supporters were ordered out of their cars and to 
take off their party T-shirts.     More than one hundred UDP supporters were 
then subjected to a systematic assault. They were beaten with sticks, 
truncheons and gun butts and forced to lie on the ground face down. At least 
33 people were seriously injured; some had to be admitted to hospital. Dozens 
of people were arrested and detained without charge just before the 
presidential elections.    There has been no investigation into these events. 
Amnesty International is demanding that an independent inquiry be urgently 
undertaken in order to bring those responsible for the human rights 
violations to justice and that measures be taken to ensure that such 
violations are not repeated.    The safety of opposition politicians who 
feared or had reasons to fear for their lives during the presidential 
election, such as the UDP leader, Ousainou Darboe, must be guaranteed.

    “We are concerned that criminal charges are being used against political 
opponents as a way of justifying their continued detention,” Amnesty 
International said.    Detainees have been held for long periods without 
charge. In some cases, they have subsequently been charged with offences 
specified in new decrees which are applied retrospectively. This practice 
contravenes the principles of the rule of law and the Gambia's obligations 
under international human rights law.

    Amnesty International also urges the government to end short-term arrest 
without charge of journalists. Foreign journalists have been threatened with 
deportation.    “The government should ensure that all Gambian citizens are 
able to exercise their right to vote without fear of arrest, detention and 
ill-treatment,” Amnesty International said.     “Equally, all the candidates 
for the forthcoming parliamentary election should spell out clearly their 
commitments to human rights -- only then may there be a chance of respecting 
human rights in the Gambia in the future.” 

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