The NUJ has joined with sister unions and human rights organisations in condemning the conviction of six Gambian journalists for sedition.
They each now face a two-year jail sentence and a reported fine equivalent to around US$10,000 for having criticised President Yahya Jammeh.
NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear hit out at the sentences: “The conviction and penalties imposed go against the core principles of press freedom that are respected by democratic states around the world. The NUJ will continue in its campaign to support our colleagues in the Gambia and to expose the injustices of this case.”
The NUJ joined with the TUC and Amnesty to mount demonstrations outside the Gambian high commission last month in protest against the prosecutions and other press freedom violations.
Jim Boumelha, President of the International Federation of Journalists and a member of the NUJ’s National Executive Council, said: "This is one of the darkest days in the history of African journalism. The harsh sentences pronounced today by justice Fagbenle fly in the face of all the constitutional guarantees and the principles of press freedom and natural justice. Our Gambian colleagues were right to have no faith in the Gambian judicial system which has proved to be spineless and a faithful servant of president Jammeh.”
The six Gambian journalists involved in the case are Gambia Press Union General Secretary Emil Touray, its Vice President Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, its Treasurer Pa Modou Faal, publisher Pap Saine, editor of The Point newspaper Ebrima Sawaneh, and editor at the Foroyaa newspaper Sam Sarr. They have all been convicted on six counts of sedition and defamation and have been sent to Mile Two State Central Prisons in Banjul the capital.
The arrests of the journalists followed the publication of a statement by the GPU denouncing comments made on national television by the Gambian head of state, President Yahya Jammeh, on the death of Gambian journalist Deyda Hydara and the state of press freedom in the Gambia.
The six journalists were initially arrested on 15 June 2009 together with Abubcarr Saidykhan, a reporter at the Foroyaa newspaper, who was eventually released. They were charged with publishing seditious publications and two accounts of criminal defamations.
The NUJ has joined with the IFJ in calling for the immediate release of the six journalists jailed. Calls are also being made for a genuine inquest into the assassination of Deyda Hydara, the disappearance of Chief Ibrahima Manneh, and many other press freedom and freedom of expression abuses in the Gambia.
Jim Boumelha added: “The IFJ and its members worldwide will continue to fight shoulder to shoulder with our Gambian colleagues until justice is done and the six journalists are released.”
The NUJ has launched a legal defence fund to help support colleagues in the Gambia.
7 August 2009