Reporters Without Borders posts statement that led to two-year jail terms for six journalists

Reporters Without Borders reiterates its deep concern about six journalists who are still in prison after receiving two-year jail sentences from the Banjul high court on 6 August on charges of defamation and sedition. They appealed on 17 August against their conviction. The appeal will be heard in October.

The six journalists were able to receive visits in the past few days. Their relatives say their morale is high and they still hope to be freed soon.

Five of the journalists – Emil Touray, Pa Modou Fall, Ebrima Sawaneh, Sam Sarr and Pap Saine – are being held in Old Jeshwang prison. Saine is very ill. The sixth, Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, the only woman, is in Banjul’s Mile Two prison. Her seven-month-old baby was taken from her on 8 August.

They were convicted for issuing a release on behalf of the Gambia Press Union that urged President Yahya Jammeh to recognise his government’s responsibility for journalist Deyda Hydara’s murder in 2004. It was published on 12 June in the opposition newspaper Foroyaa and on 15 June in the independent newspaper The Point. Reporters Without Borders posted it on its website today.

Read the GPU statement : http://www.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=34183

Reporters sans fronti่res r้it่re son extr๊me inqui้tude concernant le sort des six journalistes condamn้s เ deux ans de prison le 6 ao๛t et actuellement emprisonn้s. Le 17 ao๛t, ceux-ci ont fait appel de la d้cision de la Haute Cour de justice de Banjul confirmant les charges de diffamations et de s้ditions retenues contre eux. Le proc่s en appel se d้roulera en octobre.

Ces derniers jours, les six journalistes ont pu recevoir des visites, D'apr่s leurs proches, ils gardent tous un bon ้tat d'esprit et l'espoir d'๊tre bient๔t lib้r้s.

Cinq hommes, Emil Touray, Pa Modou Fall, Ebrima Sawaneh, Sam Sarr et Pap Saine, tr่s malade, sont d้tenus au p้nitancier de Old Jeshwang. La seule femme, Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, est incarc้r้e เ la prison Mile Two เ Banjul. On lui a retir้ son b้b้ de sept mois le 8 ao๛t. Ils ont tous ้t้ reconnus coupables de "diffamation" et de "s้dition" pour avoir publi้ une d้claration de la Gambia Press Union (GPU).

Cet article que Reporters sans fronti่res rend ici public appellait le pr้sident Yahya Jammeh เ reconna๎tre la responsabilit้ de son gouvernement dans l’assassinat, en 2004, du journaliste Deyda Hydara. Ce texte a ้t้ publi้ le 12 juin par le journal d'opposition Foroyaa et le 15 juin par le quotidien ind้pendant The Point.

Lire le communiqu้ : http://www.rsf.org/Six-journalistes-emprisonnes-dont.html

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