The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the conviction of six Gambian journalists to two year jail sentence and US$ 20,000 fine each for having criticised President Yahya Jammeh.

"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.” said IFJ President Jim Boumelha.
The six Gambian journalists defendants - Gambia Press Union General Secretary Emil Touray, its Vice President Sarata Jabbi-Dibba and Treasurer Pa Modou Faal together with Pap Saine, publisher, Ebrima Sawaneh, editor of The Point newspaper; Sam Sarr, editor at the Foroyaa newspaper – are convicted to two year jail and US$ 20,000  each. They have been all 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 seven journalists including Abubcarr Saidykhan Reporter, at the Foroyaa newspaper - who was eventually released - were initially arrested on 15 June 2009 and charged of publishing seditious publications and two accounts of criminal defamations.
The IFJ calls for the immediate release of the six journalists jailed, and for genuine inquest in the assassination of Deyda Hydara, the disappearance of Chief Ibrahima Manneh, and many other press freedom and freedom of expression abuses in the Gambia.

“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.”, added Boumelha.

The IFJ, in collaboration with global trade union movements and human rights organisations has built and will continue to build support for the Gambian journalists in a series of  protest activities in Europe, the US and Africa, as part of the global campaign to free the six journalists.

For more information contact the IFJ at +221 33 867 95 87
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 123 countries worldwide