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Gambia: demonstrate for freedom and donate to the legal defence fund

Issue date
Solidarity with the journalists' union

The Gambia

July 2009

On Tuesday 21 July at 12.30pm, Amnesty International, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) are inviting supporters to give up their lunch break to take part in a demonstration outside the Gambian High Commission (57 Kensington Court, London W8 5DG) and to call for free speech in the Gambia.

The event will take place on the eve of the Gambia's annual public holiday - Freedom Day - and will highlight the case of the disappeared journalist Ebrima Manneh who 'disappeared' after being arrested in July 2006.

Earlier this month on 3 July, the NUJ, Amnesty and the TUC protested outside the Gambian High Commission against the trial for sedition of leaders of the Gambian Press Union (an IFJ affiliate).

Further action

Join the online Amnesty International protest against the journalist union leaders' trials.

Make a donation to the NUJ Gambia Legal Defence Fund, which will be collecting money to pay the legal costs of the GPU leaders on trial - all funds will be channelled through the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Cheques can be sent to NUJ Gambia Legal Defence Fund, Headland House, 308 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8DP, made out to NUJ (Gambia Legal Defence Fund).

Background

The demonstration on 21 July is part of a series of demonstrations and public displays of solidarity expected to occur in 12 countries around the world, including Senegal, Burkino Faso, Mali and the United States.

Throughout those events activists will draw attention to the lack of political freedoms in the Gambia and the widespread human rights violations there, such as arbitrary arrests and illegal detention.

During the demonstration in London, representatives from Amnesty, NUJ and the TUC will hand in to the Gambian High Commissioner a letter and a photo album compiled by activists around the world who have asked the question 'Where is Ebrima?'

In June 2009, Ebrima received special recognition at the Amnesty International Media Awards ceremony in the Special Award For Journalism Under Threat category.

An online slide show of the activists posing the question 'Where is Ebrima?' will be available on www.whereisebrima.org by 20 July 2009.

Freedom Day is an official public holiday decreed by President Yahya Ajj Jammeh to be celebrated on 22 July.

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