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Momodou
Denmark
11828 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Jun 2006 : 18:02:56
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GAMBIA GOVERNMENT UNDER ATTACK
A number of international organisations have made strong criticisms against the Gambia government on its human rights records. These organisations have called on the government to reverse this trend and went further to call for the African Commission on Human Rights to temporary move its headquarters from The Gambia.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International has noted the following:
“At least eight others are reportedly still detained without charge, some of them in incommunicado, in either the headquarters of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) or the Mile Two Central Prison. They are: former chief of staff, Lt Colonel Vincent Jatta, senior lawyer, Mariam Denton, former NIA acting Deputy Director General, Ngorr Secka, NIA Director of Operations, Foday Barry, former NIA senior officer, Kemo Balajo, and NIA official, Buba Saho. They are at serious risk of torture. Abdoulie Kujabi is reportedly still in hospital, and so is Ngorr Secka.”
They also noted that: “Other lawyers have been denied access to their clients, or cannot meet with them in private.”
They further pointed out that: “On 14 May, reporter Lamin Fatty who was arrested on the 10th April was charged with publishing false information, but he has not yet appeared in court. He was charged despite his newspaper having published an apology to correct the story that gave rise to the charge.”
Finally, Amnesty International did indicate that: “The Independent has not yet been allowed to resume production.”
They then recommended the following actions:
“- asking the authorities to release Lamin Fatty and Mariam Denton immediately and unconditionally, as they are prisoners of conscience;
- expressing concern that at least eight people are still detained without charge, some of them held incommunicado, for their supposed involvement in an attempted coup;
- urging the authorities to order independent and impartial investigations into all reports of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment;
- urging the authorities to give all the detainees regular access to their families, lawyers and any medical attention they may require;
- urging the authorities to release those held without charge immediately, unless they are to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence;
- if they are charged, asking for details of the charges against them and when they are to be put on trial;
- urging the authorities to ensure that all those charged with crimes that carry the death penalty have adequate legal representation at all stages of the proceedings against them.”
The concerned authorities are the President and the Secretaries of State for the Interior and Justice.
International Federation of Journalists
The International Federation of Journalists which claims to represent 500,000 journalists in 110 countries noted that: “Three journalists, Pa Modou Faal of the national television GRTS, Musa Sheriff of Gambia News & Report Magazine, and Malick Mboob, Communications Officer of Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital were arrested last Friday by the Gambian security forces. Lamin Cham, the BBC stringer in the Gambia was equally arrested by the security forces.”
The organisation then went on to make the following demands: “We demand the immediate and unconditional release of these four journalists and Lamin Fatty who is held since 10 April. While the next summit of the African Union will be held in The Gambia next July, we call on the President of this organization, Denis Sassou Guesso, and the President of the AU Commission, Alpha Oumar Konaré, to obtain the release of these arbitrarily detained journalists and citizens”.
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders in its statement on the human rights situation in The Gambia urged the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to pull out of Banjul because of the climate of fear imposed by President Jammeh.
The organisation expressed their dissatisfaction with the way the authorities are handling the investigation on the murder of Deyda Hydara. They also made reference to arrested journalists like Musa Sheriff, Malick Mboob, Pa Modou Faal, BBC reporter Lamin Cham, Lamin fatty, Madi Ceesay and Musa Saidykhan. They also indicated that Omar Bah apparently went into hiding to avoid arrest.
West African Human Rights Defenders Network (WAHRDNet)
The West African Human Rights Defenders Network noted that: “Our delegations have just visited your country and have seen first hand the deplorable state of human rights. Furthermore, fear stalks every part of Gambian society as testified to by the many ordinary Gambians that we have spoken with during our visit. May we bring to your attention the fact that our team which tried to visit the Central Prison (Mile Two) in Banjul, having learnt of the deplorable conditions and the death of 23 inmates there, from January 6 to April 11, 2006, was stopped by your loyal security forces?”
WAHRDNet also opined that the closure of The Independent, Sud FM and Citizen FM is unlawful and unacceptable and violates the universal right to “seek, receive and affect information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers”.
WAHRDNet in their open letter called on the “government to respect the rule of law and honour the freedom of the press as enshrined in your country’s constitution and as stated in Articles 3 and 9 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, which the Republic of The Gambia signed and ratified in 1983.”
Source:Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 43/2006, 5-7 June, 2006
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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