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African leaders asked to intervene in violations in the Gambia

Posted By *admin* On July 4, 2009 @ 11:51 am In *Africa/International* | *1
Comment<http://ghanabusinessnews.com/2009/07/04/african-leaders-asked-to-intervene-in-violations-in-the-gambia/print/#comments_controls>
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The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has called on President John
Atta Mills and other African leaders meeting in Sirte in Libya to condemn
the systematic campaign being waged by President Yahya Jammeh’s
administration to undermine media freedom and freedom of expression in The
Gambia.

In a press statement copied to ghanabusinessnews.com Friday July 3, 2009,
the MFWA also called on Heads of State to impress upon President Jammeh to
unconditionally drop all criminal charges preferred against seven Gambian
journalists and Press Union executives standing trial following their
criticism of President Jammeh for speaking ill of slain editor, Deyda
Hydara. The Gambian Press Union (GPU) currently cannot operate inside The
Gambia, it added.

The statement said, the accused persons were arrested separately on June 15,
2009, detained for more than the seventy two hours without appearing in
court as the country’s constitution stipulates, and were hurriedly arraigned
before a magistrate court without their counsels.

Initially, the magistrate court ordered them to reappear on July 7, 2009 but
surprisingly, the authorities instead summoned them to reappear on July 3.
The case has also been transferred to the Banjul High Court instead of the
Kanifing Magistrate court which began
the trial.

What is more worrying the according to the statement is the fact that two
more charges – “conspiracy to commit defamation” and “defamation of the
President” – have been added, bringing to five the number of criminal
charges brought against the journalists.

MFWA believes that this latest move by the authorities is possibly to
prevent the public from following the case and to ensure that the
journalists are convicted.

The MFWA fears that the journalists will not get fair hearing in court as
the Gambian government has continuously demonstrated its disregard for
lawful and constitutional order as was clearly demonstrated in the recent
dismissal of the country’s Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice, the
statement said.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
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Article printed from Ghana Business News: *http://ghanabusinessnews.com*

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http://ghanabusinessnews.com/2009/07/04/african-leaders-asked-to-intervene-in-violations-in-the-gambia/
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