Good news indeed. I salute the six journalists for their courage and unflinching sense of duty, as well as the GPU, international humanitarian organizations, governments, and the Gambian people for standing by the six journalists during these trying times.
ML Touray
Press Release
September 3, 2009
GPU-USA Welcomes Release of GPU Six
The Gambia Press Union U.S. Branch welcomes news of the release by the Gambia government of the six Gambian journalists who were unjustly sentenced to two year prison terms by a mercenary Nigerian judge and subsequently jailed at the notorious Mile Two Prisons in Banjul. The release of the six innocent journalists, touted as a pardon by Gambia’s dictator Yahya Jammeh, is in fact a result of the massive pressure brought to bear upon his regime by Gambians, Gambian organizations, friends of the Gambia, the United Nations system, as well as media and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Press Institute, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists and the governments of the United States and United Kingdom among others.
The case of the GPU Six has sent a clear signal to the Jammeh dictatorship that the kind of blatant impunity and the bullying of innocent persons that is the hallmark of its political practice are no longer acceptable to today’s world community. It is the prerogative of every government to arrest and jail real criminals. But it is not acceptable for law makers to turn lawbreakers, criminalize the justice system, and use it to criminalize and victimize innocent and hardworking citizens by bringing bogus charges against them and sending them to jail for no good reason. The GPU Six committed absolutely no crime against the Gambian state and should therefore not have been arrested in the first place.
The GPU-USA wishes to congratulate the six on their release as well as on their fortitude and eventual victory over the forces of injustice. We call upon them to continue executing their responsibilities as journalists and their service to the Gambian nation without fear or favour, affection or ill will. So long as they report the truth and continue to protest injustice and corruption in our society, truth and justice will be on their side. We also congratulate GPU-Gambia president Ndey Tapha Sosseh on the release of our colleagues, and on her fortitude and loyalty to the cause of press freedom and justice in our country. Her steadfastness during the past several trying months has been a source of pride and inspiration to us all.
The GPU-USA wishes to assure its parent body of our continued and unflagging support in the struggle for the right and freedom to express our opinions and to act as the social watchdogs the press is meant to be. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to all individual Gambians, friends of the Gambia, Amnesty International, the CPJ, RSF, IPI, and to the governments of the United States and United Kingdom for the support accorded our colleagues who have been victims of injustice and impunity by the regime of President Yahya Jammeh. With the support of the international community, Gambians can bring an end to injustice and the politics of impunity in our country. Thank you all.
Signed on behalf of GPU-USA
Baba Galleh Jallow
Secretary General
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