Gambia campaign wins freedom for six
SIX GAMBIAN journalists who had been jailed for “seditious publications and criminal defamation” have been pardoned by the country’s president — following international protests in which the NUJ played an active role (last issue). Officials said the pardon in September was a “humanitarian gesture in the spirit of Ramadan”.
The six are Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, Emil Touray and Pa Modou Faal, GPU Vice President, Secretary General and Treasurer respectively, together with Pap Saine, Sam Sarr and Ebrima Sawaneh.
They were arrested in June following their public criticism of President Jammeh’s comments on a prominent journalist who was killed in suspicious circumstances in 2004.