The union joined with Amnesty International and the TUC to hand in a letter of protest at the Gambian High Commission in London - to mark today's hearing

Supporters are urged to send individual protests.

Last month senior officials in the Gambia Press Union including the Vice President Sarata Jabbi-Dibba and the General Secretary Emil Touray, along with editors and a reporter from several of the country’s national newspapers were arrested by the National Intelligence Agency and charged with three counts of seditious publication.

The protest letter to be handed in today expresses concern at the increasing deterioration of freedom of expression in Gambia, and demands that the charges against the seven are dropped and the case dismissed.

The London protest is one of a series of demonstrations organised by the International Federation of Journalists and taking part outside Gambian embassies across the world, including those in Paris, Brussels, Stockholm and Rome.

The NUJ will also lobby Gambian diplomats in Ireland.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “The arrest and subsequent trial today of these journalists and union leaders in Gambia on trumped up charges of sedition is an affront to freedom of expression and association, and a worrying development for others working in the media and running unions in that part of West Africa. They must be released immediately and all the unfounded charges levelled against them dropped.”

General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists Jeremy Dear said: “These seven journalists have been locked up and put on trial for writing stories and press releases that would be part of normal democratic debate in most countries of the world.

“The NUJ calls for their immediate and unconditional release and for the government of Gambia to change their media laws to allow genuine freedom of expression.”

Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said: “These seven journalists should not be placed on trial. They are being punished simply for peacefully expressing their opinions. This is a woeful disgrace and the Gambian authorities should immediately call a halt to this trial.

“Amnesty has documented hundreds of cases of journalists being persecuted in Gambia for several years. Those who choose to dare to express their views risk facing an array of abuses, including unlawful arrest, arbitrary detention, and torture.

“We urge the Gambian government to put an end to this trial and to allow all journalists to exercise their rights to freely express their views without fear of reprisal.”

• Background to the arrests
• Violence against journalists

3 July 2009