Campaigns
Gambia Legal Defence Fund
The NUJ is joining with Amnesty International and the TUC to campaign on behalf of journalists in Gambia – and their trade union – who are under assault from the state.
The NUJ has set up a legal defence fund for Gambian journalists.
Police raided the headquarters of the Gambia Press Union in June arresting five staff members.
The GPU – like the NUJ – is affiliated to the International Federation of Journalists.
Soon after the first raid the editor and a reporter from opposition newspaper Foroyaa were arrested.
All seven have been charged with seditious publication.
The NUJ is urging supporters to make donations to the journalists’ legal defence fund.
Those arrested were GPU General Secretary Emil Touray, Vice President Sarata Jabbi-Dibba and Treasurer Pa Modou Faal; Pap Saine, Publisher, and Ebrima Sawaneh, Editor, of The Point newspaper; Sam Sarr, Editor and Abubcarr Saidykhan Reporter, at the Foroyaa newspaper.
The arrests of the journalists followed the publication of a statement by the GPU critical of the Gambian head of state, President Yahia Jammeh.
The seven appeared before the High Court in Banjul on Friday 3 July. The case was adjourned for written legal arguments to be presented and the seven were remanded in custody.
Sarata Jabbi-Dibba was later released because she is a nursing mother.
The other six defendants were held in Banjul’s Mile Two prison until the morning of 7 July when they were released on bail of 400,000 dalassi (10,800 euros). Friends, colleagues and family struggled to raise the surety.
The case has been adjourned to Friday 20 June.
Amnesty International has taken up the case and on 3 July protests and representations were made by trades unionists, journalists, and human rights campaigners at Gambian embassies in Britain , Belgium, Ethiopia, Italy, France, Senegal, Sweden and Switzerland.
The British Trades Union Congress - the umbrella organisation for all workers' organisations in the country - has supported the campaign.
How to make a donation
The NUJ has launched a Gambia Legal Defence Fnud to help support our colleagues under threat. You can donate via credit or debit card by clicking on the link below. Alternatively, cheques can be made payable to 'NUJ (Gambia Legal Defence Fund)' and sent to NUJ, Headland House, 308-312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8DP.
8 July 2009
