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TUC condemns harsh sentences in Gambian press and union freedom cases

Issue date
Gambian Press Union repression

TUC reaction to sentences

8 August 2009

The TUC has joined the National Union of Journalists NUJ) and Amnesty International to condemn the harsh sentences handed out to leading journalists and journalists' union leaders in the Gambia.

The six Gambian journalists involved in the case are Gambia Press Union General Secretary Emil Touray, its Vice President Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, its Treasurer Pa Modou Faal, publisher Pap Saine, editor of The Point newspaper Ebrima Sawaneh, and editor at the Foroyaa newspaper Sam Sarr. They have all been convicted on six counts of sedition and defamation and have been sent to Mile Two State Central Prisons in Banjul the capital. The journalists were given concurrent sentences of two years' imprisonment on each charge and fined 250,000 Dalasis (US$10,000) on two of the six counts. Failure to pay will result in having to serve two extra years for each count.

The arrests of the journalists followed the publication of a statement by the GPU denouncing comments made on national television by the Gambian head of state, President Yahya Jammeh, on the death of Gambian journalist Deyda Hydara and the state of press freedom in the Gambia. The six journalists were initially arrested on 15 June 2009 together with Abubcarr Saidykhan, a reporter at the Foroyaa newspaper, who was eventually released. They were charged with publishing seditious publications and two accounts of criminal defamations.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'This is an outrageous breach of freedom of speech and freedom of association. I urge trade unionists in Britain to protest and help pay the legal bills associated with the case.'

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