PRESS STATEMENT
ITUC - Africa Outraged at High Court Decision
The African Regional Organization of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) is outraged and deeply disturbed by the ruling handed down yesterday by the Gambian High Court, convicting six journalists on all six count charges, and imposing severe jail term sentences and exorbitant fines on the so-called convicted journalists, for merely exercising press freedom, a fundamental right, guaranteed under Gambia’s constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The obviously stage-managed court proceedings that led to the conviction of the six journalists lacked any legitimacy. The final ruling handed down demonstrates the extent to which the independence of Gambia’s judicial system can be subject to the manipulation of the executive arm of government. We call on the Gambian Bar Association to challenge this obvious travesty of justice and abuse of the rule of law.
We express solidarity with the six journalists and their families for the pain and trauma they continue to endure and invite all pro-democratic forces including journalists, trade unionists, human rights organizations and activists, lawyers, teachers, health workers, workers in the informal economy, women’s organizations, youth groups, religious bodies and other mass-based organizations in the Gambia, Africa and the world at large to campaign for the immediate and unconditional release of the jailed journalists.
In the same vain, we appeal once again to African leaders, ECOWAS, AU and UN to prevail on the authorities in the Gambia to release the imprisoned six journalists unconditionally.
Kwasi Adu-Amankwah
General Secretary