Bd. du Roi Albert II, 5, Bte 1, B – 1210 Bruxelles Belgique

Tel. +32 (0) 2224 0211 Fax +32 (0) 2201 5815 E-mail [log in to unmask] http://www.ituc-csi.org

Alhaji Dr. Yahya Abdul-Azziz Jemus

Junkung Jammeh

President

Office of the President

Banjul

Republic of the Gambia

+ 220-422.70.34

HTUR/FW 22 June 2009

Dear Mr. President,

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which represents more than 170

million workers through its 312 affiliates in 157 different countries, including Gambia,

strongly protests at the arrests and subsequent detention of a number of union leaders and

journalists by your authorities.

The ITUC has been informed by its Regional Branch Office, ITUC-Africa, and the

Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), that the Gambian National Intelligence Agency

Gambian Press Union (GPU). According to the FAJ, a number of journalists was also

arrested: Pa Saine and Ebrima Sawaneh, publisher and editor of The Point Newspaper;

and Sam Sarr and Abubcarr Saidy Khan, Editor and Reporter of Foroyaa Newspaper.

The ITUC adds its voice to that of its Regional Branch Office in expressing its strong

concerns at this development, as it follows the pattern of arbitrary arrests and detentions,

death threats, acts of intimidation and surveillance visits perpetrated by State-Agents in

what seems an effort to stifle freedom of expression and trade union rights in the Gambia.

The ITUC calls on your government to ensure the immediate release the above-mentioned

trade unionists as well as the journalists, and to see to it that the right to freedom of

expression is fully respected in the Gambia, as well as International Labour Organisation

(ILO) Conventions 87, on freedom of association, and 98, on collective bargaining, which

have been ratified by your country in 1948 and 1949 respectively.

Yours sincerely,