Monday, May 5, 2014

Calls renewed for Gambia to respect ECOWAS Court decisions



The journalists need a media environment free from intimidation, arbitrary arrests, detention, disappearance, torture, killings and all forms of human rights violations designed to gag the media in The Gambia, the GPU stated. (Photo Credit: Haddija Jawara/Facebook)
The Gambia Press Union, GPU, Saturday renew calls for The Gambia Government to respect two verdicts of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
 
The call was contained in a solidarity statement that strongly condemned the Ethiopian government’s crackdown and jailing of nine journalists and bloggers in April 2014, while calling for their immediate and unconditional release.

Its 1st Vice President, Baboucarr Ceesay said: “The solidarity statement for jailed Ethiopian journalists and bloggers cannot be concluded without renewing Gambian journalists call on the government of The Gambia to respect the ECOWAS court’s verdict…


“To produce and compensate ‘Chief’ Ebrima Manneh who was arrested at his work place, Daily Observer since July 7, 2006. His whereabouts remained unknown to the public, his family and colleagues. 

“The same Court recommended for the compensation of Musa Saidykhan, former editor at the arbitrarily closed The Independent newspaper who was arrested, detained and tortured in detention.” 

GPU also call on the government to bring to justice the killers of Deyda Hydara who was shot on 16 December 2004 and Omar Barrow who was shot on April 10, 2000 during a student demonstration. 

“We also called on the Gambian authorities to re-open The Daily News which has been forced out of the newsstands for more than one year without any court order,” Ceesay added.

“Gambian journalists are also calling on the government to review and repeal all draconian media laws to be in line with international standards.”

The journalists need a media environment free from intimidation, arbitrary arrests, detention without trial, disappearance, torture, killings and all forms of human rights violations designed to gag the media in The Gambia, the GPU stated. 


This entry first appeared on The Voice 


Edited by Modou S. Joof


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