Sections
DONATE
SUPPORT WWW.JOLLOFNEWS.COM
Account Login
Urgent Action: Arrests in Gambia for Distributing T-Shirts!
Monday, 20 June 2011 21:48
(Amnesty Int’l) - A former Minister of Information and Communication and three other men have been charged with
treason after distributing Coalition for Change – The Gambia (CCG) t-shirts calling for an ‘End to Dictatorship Now’ in The Gambia. They are being detained in Banjul, the capital city, and have not had access to lawyers or their families.Charges were brought against Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh, Michael C. Ucheh Thomas, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow at the Banjul Magistrate Court on 13 June. The case has now been transferred to the High Court, as the magistrate court does not have the jurisdiction to hear treason cases. The men remain in detention in Mile prison.
Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh, who has American citizenship, was arrested in his office on the 7 June for being in possession of CCG t-shirts, which call for an ‘End to Dictatorship Now’ in The Gambia. Michael C. Ucheh Thomas, a Nigerian, and Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow, both Gambians, were arrested on the same day, accused of printing the t-shirts. The whereabouts of the four men were not known until the 13 June when they were brought before Banjul Magistrate Court.
According to CCG Spokeperson Ndey Tapha Sosseh, “The Coalition for Change - The Gambia is an organization with the objectives of ending The Gambia’s dictatorship and as well as the climate of fear that has so consumed Gambian society.”
Amnesty International considers the detention and charges against Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh, Michael C. Ucheh Thomas, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow as violations of their freedom of expression, assembly and association. Amnesty International believes them to be prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.
PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in English or your own language:
Stating that Amnesty International considers the charges against Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh, Michael C. Ucheh Thomas, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow as violations of their freedom of expression, assembly and association and requesting that the authorities drop the charges and immediately and unconditionally release them;
Reminding the Gambian authorities that action of this kind violates international and regional human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR);
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 01 AUGUST 2011 TO:
President of The Gambia
Dr. Alhaji Yahya Jammeh
Private Mail Bag
State House
Banjul, The Gambia
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of the Interior and NGO Affairs
Ousman Sonko
21 OAU Boulevard
Banjul
The Gambia
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Salutation: Dear Minister
And copies to:
ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace & Security (PAPs)
Grl. Mahamane Toure
ECOWAS Executive Secretariat,
60, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro District P.M.B 401 Abuja, Nigeria
Salutation: Dear Minister
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
Additional Information
Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh is the former Secretary of State for Communication, Information & Technology in the Gambian government. He taught for several years as assistant professor at the African & African-American Studies University of Tennessee, Knoxville, US.
Journalists and human rights activists are routinely subjected to human rights violations, such as unlawful arrests and detentions, torture, unfair trials, harassment, assaults and death threats, making it extremely difficult for them to do their work. Several journalists have been harassed, threatened and been detained and unlawfully arrested if suspected of providing information to online news sources or foreign journalists or publications.
In 2006, Ebrima Manneh was arrested in a similar circumstance and was subjected to enforced disappearance. In 2005, Deyda Hydara, the former president of the Gambia press union, was extra-judicially executed.
UA: 190/11 Index: AFR 27/002/11 Issue Date: 20 June 2011
Jollofnews Poll
Who do you think should be the next President of The Gambia?
Follow us on Twitter
-
McGuinness wants dissident talksDeputy First Minister Martin McGuinness offers to hold talks with dissident republicans, saying their violence...
-
Egypt candidate to seek election suspension: lawyerCAIRO (Reuters) - Leftist candidate Hamdeen Sabahy will file an appeal for Egypt's presidential election...
-
Bristol Rovers Speed Merchant Could Be Racing To Posh(GamSports) – Peterborough United are thought to be one of a number of Championship sides...
Comments
RSS feed for comments to this post.