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date: 3 July 2009

embargo: For immediate release

TUC urges Gambian Government to stop journalists' trial

Today (Friday) seven journalists and leaders of the journalists' union in the Republic of the Gambia are due to go on trial charged with sedition, and Amnesty International UK, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the TUC are calling on the country's President to release them immediately.

Later today Amnesty International UK Trade Union Campaigns Manager Shane Enright, NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear, and the Head of the TUC's International Department Owen Tudor will hand a letter in to the Gambian High Commission in London, urging the President of the West African country - Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh - to stop the trial and free the men.

Last month senior officials in the Gambia Press Union (GPU) including the Vice President Sarata Jabbi-Dibba and the General Secretary Emil Touray, along with editors and a reporter from several of the country's national newspapers were arrested by the National Intelligence Agency and charged with three counts of seditious publication.

The letter signed by Amnesty, the NUJ and the TUC expresses concern at the increasing deterioration of freedom of expression in the Gambia, and demands that the charges against the seven are dropped and the case dismissed.

As the letter is handed in at the High Commission in Knightsbridge, protesters will be outside on the street with placards featuring the names of those about to go on trial. The London protest is place of a series of demonstrations organised by the International Federation of Journalists and taking part outside Gambian Embassies across the world, including those in Paris, Brussels, Stockholm and Rome.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The arrest and subsequent trial today of these journalists and union leaders in the Gambia on trumped up charges of sedition is an affront to freedom of expression and association, and a worrying development for others working in the media and running unions in that part of West Africa. They must be released immediately and all the unfounded charges levelled against them dropped.'

General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists Jeremy Dear said: 'These seven journalists have been locked up and put on trial for writing stories and press releases that would be part of normal democratic debate in most countries of the world.

'The NUJ calls for their immediate and unconditional release and for the Government of Gambia to change their media laws to allow genuine freedom of expression.'

Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said: 'These seven journalists should not be placed on trial. They are being punished simply for peacefully expressing their opinions. This is a woeful disgrace and the Gambian authorities should immediately call a halt to this trial.

'Amnesty has documented hundreds of cases of journalists being persecuted in the Gambia for several years. Those who choose to dare to express their views risk facing an array of abuses, including unlawful arrest, arbitrary detention, and torture.

'We urge the Gambian Government to put an end to this trial and to allow all journalists to exercise their rights to freely express their views without fear of reprisal.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

-The text of the letter to be handed into the Gambian High Commission is at http://www.nuj.org.uk/getfile.php?id=714

- The journalists and union leaders due to go on trial are Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, Vice-President of the GPU; Emil Touray, General Secretary of the GPU; Pa Modou Faal, Treasurer of the GPU; Pap Saine, Editor of the Point newspaper; Ebrima Sawaneh, the paper's Deputy Editor; Sam Sarr, Editor-in-Chief of Foroyaa newspaper and one of his reporters, Abubacarr Saidykhan.

- If you would like to attend the hour-long protest or take pictures of the letter being handed in at the Commission, please turn up at 12.45pm at the Gambian High Commission, 57 Kensington Court, London W8 5DG.

- You can send an appeal letter or fax to the Gambian authorities via the following weblink http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=616

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Amnesty UK: Eulette Ewart T: 020 7033 1552 E: eulette.ewart@amnesty.org.uk

NUJ: Jeremy Dear M: 07855 384 287 E: campaigns@nuj.org.uk

TUC: Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk

Press release (700 words) issued 3 Jul 2009