ACT NOW: Solidarity with Gambian journalists

Solidarity with Gambian journalists

Joint action: TUC, NUJ, Amnesty

3 July 2009

The TUC, together with affiliate the National Union of Journalists and Amnesty International UK, is calling on the Government of the Gambia to abandon a trial of journalist union leaders which started today (Friday). Union members are being urged to take part in Amnesty's urgent action as unions and Amnesty deliver a letter of protest to the Gambian High Commission in London.

Find out more and send an appeal letter or fax to the Gambian authorities now!

Seven journalists and leaders of the journalists' union in the Republic of the Gambia are being charged with sedition. 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 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.

The text of the letter to be handed into the Gambian High Commission is here.

Statements by the US and EU Ambassadors in the Gambia are here.