Amie Bojang Sissoho and Dr. Isatou Touray (L- |
The Observatory, a joint programme of the International
Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture
(OMCT), on January 9, 2012 denounce what it called the “interminable judicial
harassment” faced by two women human rights defenders in The Gambia.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders believes that the
criminal case against Dr. Isatou Touray and Amie Bojang-Sissoho merely aims at
intimidating them and impeding GAMCOTRAP from carrying out its activities for
the promotion and protection of human rights.
More generally, it also aims at
intimidating the Gambian civil society and, more particularly, those who stand
up for human rights, the agency said in a statement on Monday.
Women rights activists, Dr. Isatou Touray, Executive Director and Mrs
Amie Bojang-Sissoho, Programme Manager, The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women
and Children (GAMCOTRAP) are standing trial on one count of
theft.
The two women,
whose agency is working on sexual and reproductive health and rights of women
and children, are alleged to have embezzled 30,000 euros received three years
ago from Yolocamba Solidaridad, a
Span-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
They have denied any wrong doing since the
beginning of the trial in November 2010.
However, the criminal trial
according to The Observatory, tantamount to “judicial harassment” which it said
has been going on for more than a year and a half, when the police started
interrogations of GAMCOTRAP staff.
In January 2011,
Ms. BegoƱa Ballestros Sanchez, Director of Yolocamba Solidaridad, and a key prosecution
witness, denied accusing anyone associated with GAMCOTRAP of theft and
submitting a complaint in relation thereof during a hearing at Banjul
Magistrate’s Court.
“During interrogation, which took
six hearings, Ms. Isatou Touray had to respond to very precise questions by the
Prosecutor covering all aspects of GAMCOTRAP’s activities, staff and resources
that are unrelated to the charges,” The Observatory said, while arguing that
the prosecutor “repeatedly made depreciating comments about the work of
GAMCOTRAP’s programme to eradicate female genital mutilation”.
Based on this, the agency stressed that
it “firmly denounce this continuing judicial harassment and calls upon the
Gambian authorities to guarantee that human rights defenders can carry out
their activities free of any hindrances”.
It urges the authorities to also “stop
any kind of harassment (including at the judicial level) against human rights
defenders, in line with the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights instruments ratified
by The Gambia”.
On July 22, 2011, The Observatory published an international fact-finding mission report on Gambia
in which it stated there is a "Climate of fear amongst the community of human rights
defenders" in the country.
The report coincided with the 17th
year anniversary of President Yahya AJJ Jammeh’s coup. Over the years, The
Gambia Government has been widely criticised for alleged “human rights abuses”
which has taint the country’s fledgling democracy.
Author: Modou S. Joof, is a Gambian journalist,
News Editor of The Voice Newspaper in Banjul and Publisher of The North Bank Evening Standard.
He twits (@Msjoof)
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