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Gambia: Newspaper's offices still remain closed
Friday, 28 April 2006, 11:18 am
Press Release: IFEX
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To: IFEX Autolist (other news of interest)
From: Media
Foundation for West Africa (MFWA),
alerts@mfwaonline.org
Alert Gambia: Newspaper's offices
still remain closed
The Banjul-based bi-weekly
'Independent' newspaper raided and forcibly closed down by
Gambian authorities last month, still remains closed.
On
April 25 when the management of the newspaper's offices were
about to open up and resume normal business, the police for
the second time seized the keys and arrested the
receptionist Juldeh Sowe.
No official reason has been
given for the latest police action.
Sowe and Lamin Fatty a
reporter are the latest independent staff in police custody.
Madi Ceesay, managing director and Musa Saidykhan were
released last week after three weeks in police custody
without any charge.
According to Media Foundation for West
Africa (MFWA)-The Gambia source, the police stormed the
newspaper's office on Tuesday morning and arrested Sowe who
was the only staff member there at that time.
Meanwhile,
Ceesay has expressed shock and dismay at the latest police
action. He said it was the same police who asked them to
start work after their release on April 20.
According to
him when he contacted the police, they said, they were
executing "instructions from the top".
The MFWA condemns
the incessant harassment and arrest of the 'Independent''s
members. We consider these acts as tantamount to undermining
democracy, restricting media freedom and denying freedom of
expression to journalists and citizens of the country.
We
are also appalled by this show of an insidious intolerance
of a critical press by the Gambian authorities ' coming as
it does at a time the country is preparing to host the
Africa Union summit.
MFWA demands the immediate and
unconditional reopening of the offices of the 'Independent'
as well as the release of Lamin Fatty and Juldeh Sowe.
We
kindly ask you to protest this deliberate attempt to
restrict media freedom by President Yahya Jammeh's
administration.
Please send your protest letters to:
H.E
Yahya A.A. Jammeh
President of the Republic of
Gambia
Banjul
The Gambia
Through:
The Director of
Public Press/ Public Relations President's Office New
Administration Building Quadrangle, Banjul, The
Gambia
Tel: 223577
Fax: 223578
The Minister of
Foreign Affairs
4 Muammar Ghadhafi Avenue
Banjul, The
Gambia
Tel 223577
ENDS
**The information contained
in this autolist item is the sole responsibility of
MFWA**
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