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Exiled Gambian journalist champions freedom of speech
Saturday, 16 April 2011 23:47
JollofNews - Glasgow based Gambian, Alieu Badara Ceesay, recently addressed the National Union of Journalists
(NUJ) of UK at their annual delegate meeting.In an impassioned speech, the exiled journalist reminded his colleagues that the killing of a newspaper editor Deyda Hydara and the disappearance of journalist Ebrima Manneh in The Gambia have remained unresolved despite calls from the international community. He asked for NUJ’s support for freedom of speech and a free press in his West African homeland.
Alieu spoke of his deep pride in being an NUJ member and commended the Union for its support for the seven Gambian journalists who were jailed for criticizing Gambia's President Jammeh in print.
Said Alieu: “The biggest challenges for us are the systematic attacks on media and journalists. Draconian media laws have led to self-censorship. Journalists fear reprisals. I believe freedom of expression is a fundamental human right for every person on this planet, but this right has been curtailed in The Gambia."
A senior journalist and Parliamentary reporter at the Gambia before he escaped to the UK, Alieu said: “I call on journalists in the UK to join hands in the struggle for press freedom and civil liberties in the Gambia. In my country, journalists are detained and unlawfully arrested if they are suspected of passing information to news sources or if they write stories that are unfavorable to the authorities.”
“newspapers and radio stations have been closed without court order. Such threats to journalists and journalism must be lifted," he told the 300 delegates from the UK, Ireland and Europe at their conference in Southport.
With the help of the local Branch of the NUJ in Glasgow and the support of Amnesty International, he founded the UK Campaign for Human Rights in the Gambia. The Campaign also took part in fringe meetings at the Conference and Alieu met Jim Broumelha, President of the International Federation of Journalists among other key NUJ officials from the UK and Europe.
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You are the type of journalist the Gambia need today. HUMRA-Human Rights for All is ready to support you and your group.
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