US Based Gambian Democracy Movement Condemns Arrest of Journalists

Movement for Democracy and Development
P. O. Box 500
Bronx, NY 10453
Email: modegam2006@yahoo.com

June 18, 2009

Unlawful arrest and continuous incommunicado detention of GPU officials: Mr. Emil Touray, Ms. Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, Pa Modou Faal, Mr. Pap Saine, Mr. Ebrima Sawaneh, Mr. Sam Sarr, Mr. Abubacarr Saidy Khan, Mr. Halifa Sallah and Mr. Abba Gibba is unconstitutional.

PRESS RELEASE:

Gambians based in the United States, under the umbrella of the Movement for Democracy and Development (MDD) Organization, are watching the unfolding developments in The Gambia with total shock and disbelief especially, the recent unlawful arrest and continuous detention of eight journalists and a leader of an opposition political party (NDD).

The Gambian Constitution requires that any person arrested be brought before a court of law within 72 hours, therefore, it is unconstitutional for the government to continuously detain the above persons incommunicado without charges. This unlawful detention is further evidence and justify that the Gambian government, under President Yahya Jammeh, has no respect for the constitutional rights of Gambian citizens. After 14 years with so much innocent blood on its hands, the Gambian government is unremorsefully determined to add more to its list of those it has already killed including students.

As a result of these alarming developments, we are adding our voices to those of the national and international Human Rights Organizations and individuals in condemning the unlawful detention of the above individuals. We believe that President Jammeh’s government, have lost its sense of direction, will go to any length to arrest, and detain law abiding citizens whose only crime is to exercise their rights guaranteed by the constitution. This is why the government has stood so low, shamelessly arresting journalists just for a Press Statement The Gambia Press Union (GPU) made in defending a fellow murdered journalist.

Finally, we seriously condemn this wave of arrest and illegal detention of journalists by this oppressive regime, which has failed to address the real concerns of the Gambian people. We call on democratic Governments, Human Rights Organizations and People of conscience worldwide, to denounce this dictatorship and call for an immediate and unconditional release of these innocent individuals.

Signed:

Saihou Mballow
Chairperson
Movement for Democracy and Development
New York City, USA
CC:
State Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
UN Commissioner for Human Rights
American Embassy, The Gambia
British Embassy, The Gambia
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch
CPJ
Human Rights Institutions
The Gambia Media
Attorney General and Secretary of State for Justice
Secretary of State for the Interior