GAMBIA PRESS UNION
NO. 5 GARBA JAHUMPA ROAD BAKAU NEWTOWN
P. O. Box 1440, Banjul, The Gambia
email: [log in to unmask] url: www.gambiapressunion.org
Press Release
Tuesday, June 16 2009
20:00 HRS
GPU Calls on International Community, others
The Gambia Press Union wishes to bring to the attention of the Gambian Public, Gambians in the Diaspora, international and regional journalist associations and institutions and the international community that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) still has in its custody, three senior members of the Union Executive and four other journalists, over 24 hours after the first arrests which took place early on Monday afternoon.
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 and Abubcarr Saidykhan Editor and Reporter, Foroyaa newspaper, have all been denied legal access. The GPU lawyer has made several efforts to speak to the group since their arrest on Monday but was told the earliest he could get someone of Authority to grant the permission, is tomorrow, Wednesday. Their families and loved ones have also been denied access.
We consider this a violation of their rights to counsel, to liberty and to freedom of expression. All of these, rights inter alia guaranteed by the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia in Sections 17, 21, 25, 33 and 207.
As stated earlier, we still stand by our statements of Thursday, June 11 and will not, for fear of arrests and continued detention waver in the face of truth.
The truth so remains that the Deyda Hydara investigations have stalled, the truth so remains that the statement of the head of state on Deyda’s death signals an apparent growing State irrationality and unwillingness to entertain the topic and to continue the investigations; the truth so remains that Chief Manneh disappeared and that the State, even though all the chances were afforded to so clear its name in the matter, chose not to and refused to do so at the right forum, the ECOWAS Court of Justice; And the truth so remains that the media laws in The Gambia and the prevailing environment of hostility towards the media, make it practically impossible for one to practice efficiently as a journalist.
In reiterating our demand for the immediate and unconditional release of our colleagues, one of whom is a nursing mother, we call on the international community to join the GPU, journalist groups to condemn these latest attacks on media freedoms in The Gambia and to call on the Gambia Government to cease the unnecessary and continued harassment of Gambian journalists.
The struggle continues.
Ndey Tapha Sosseh
President