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Gambian trade unionists set free

Issue date
Trade union rights

The Gambia

6 September 2009

The TUC has welcomed the pardoning of six Gambian trade unionists after a worldwide campaign against their trial and subsequent conviction for sedition. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'This shows that solidarity works. Unions all over the world - journalists and others - worked with Amnesty International to make sure that the actions of the Gambian Government were condemned. That pressure has paid off. The message to authoritarian governments is clear. Jail one of us, and the rest of us will come after you!'

The British National Union of Journalists has established a fighting fund to help pay for legal costs - see more and donate online.

All six Gambian journalists - leaders of the Gambian Press Union (GPU) - were convicted and imprisoned on six counts of defamation and sedition on 6 August. They were released on Presidential pardon on 3 September.

The six were Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, Emil Touray and Pa Modou Faal, GPU vice president, secretary general and treasurer respectively, Pap Saine and Ebou Sawaneh, Publisher and Editor of the Point Newspaper, Sam Sarr, Editor, Foroyaa newspaper. The GPU says that they are all in good health and spirits.

The six journalists were arrested in June following their public criticism of President Jammeh's comments on Deyda Hydara, a prominent Gambian journalist who was killed in suspicious circumstances in 2004. The seventh journalist, Abubcarr Saidykhan, a reporter of the Foroyaa, newspaper was also arrested but later released.

The 170 million strong International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) had worked with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ, of which the GPU is a member), condemning the arrests and the subsequent conduct of the trial, which included closed hearings among many abuses of due process. They also supported the GPU in its impressive campaign to secure the journalists' release.

'The IFJ has argued from the beginning that the trial was flawed and we are relieved that President Jammeh finally saw sense and pardoned the journalists,'said IFJ President (a member of the British National Union of Journalists) Jim Boumelha. 'We hope this will be the beginning of a new era where journalists will be treated with respect and which will lead to the scrapping of the legislation regarding sedition and defamation in particular, and the introduction of freedom of information and access to information legislation in accord with international norms.'

See more from the ITUC at http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?article4261

GPU response

Speaking on behalf of President Jammeh at the Mile Two, State Central Prison Grounds yesterday, Ousman Sonko, minister for the Interior praised President Jammeh for the 'humanitarian' gesture in the 'spirit of Ramadan.' He further went on to give long talk about responsible journalism. In response, Sam Sarr said he would not make reference to the merits of the case but would keep it clear that The Foroyaa has always been professional.

Emil Touray, GPU Secretary General said that the GPU had in the past made several efforts, as partners in development, to engage the Gambian Government and security institutions with a view to ensuring media law reforms and improved media/security relations. He said the authorities should see the Union for what it is: an institution that seeks to improve the status and welfare of journalists rather than an opposition outfit.

All other related fines have also been dropped.

See www.gambiapressunion.org to find out more about the GPU.

The campaign

See more about the campaign to free the GPU leaders and other journalists at:

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