CHRG Campaign for Human Rights in The Gambia

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/files/244462/FileName/CommonwealthExpertTeamReportTheGambiaPresidentialElection2011.pdf

An extradition case against Alpha Bah by the Gambian government, a former Trust Bank Gambia Limited employee who was accused of stealing several millions dalasi from the bank's foreign exchange account has been thrown out by a UK court. The court has cited that the lack of human rights, or a fair judicial court and the rule of law in the Gambia has made it impossible for them to approve Alpha Bah's deportation back to Gambia.

Former French president Nicholas Sarkozy wrote a letter to Yahya Jammeh to congratulate him on Gambia's 47th anniversary of independance. In this letter Sarkozy expressed his support for the development of democracy in Africa to which Jammeh responded that he would not take democratic advice from countries who had formerly colonised Africa.

22 staff of the President's International Award organised a protest against the re-appointment of Abdoulie Bah as the CEO are being arraigned in court accused on three counts of conspiracy, breach of the peace and unlawful assembly which are all contrary to the laws of Gambia. President Yahya Jammeh objected to the protesters being released on bail, but they were released on bail on Monday 14th May.

On Monday 14th May, Mam Matarr Secka, the former transport commander of the GNA and the officer overseeing the military police unit claimed he was tortured by the NIA in their conference room in Banjul. He has testified that he refused to sign a document and was therefore tortured until he signed it.

1. http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/ex-gna-officer-says-tortured-by-nia

The president of Gambia has said that he will not allow outsiders such as Amnesty International to meddle in the affairs of Gambia, and that he will govern the Gambia by the laws of the Gambia.

“The laws of the Gambia will be passed by Gambians for the interest of Gambians and no one else, saying how the country enforced its laws or how the judiciary is carried out is nobody’s business.”

Amadou Scattred Janneh has been sentenced to life imprisonment for printing and distributing t shirts bearing the slogan "Coalition for change in the Gambia. End dictatorship now". Article 19 is concerned at this blatant statement of censorship and free speech violation and calls for the release of Janneh.

Yahya Jammeh tells Macky Sall that he will not host any anti-Senegalese dissident, but Senegal must also not play host to any dissidents that are against the Gambian government.

“If you do, we will also not help you in Casamance because we cannot put off the fire and allow those who want to set our house on fire stay in your country."

Article 19 have found that the laws surrounding media and free speech in the Gambia fail to meet international obligations under the freedom of expression. They are seriously concerned with the continous violations committed by Gambia against free speech, and the harrassments of those who exercise it.

Omar Joof has called on Yahya Jammeh to accept his role in the murder of student demonstrators on the 10th and 11th of April 2000. Joof has claimed that the order to shoot and kill the student demonstrators came directly from Yahya Jammeh.

"There cannot be any healing while Yahya Jammeh and his stooges continue to treat the deaths and maiming of our comrades with such outrageous disdain. The whole world should recognise that this attitude constitutes a dangerous provocation. The fact that their crimes against us were committed 12 years ago does not in any way minimise our outrage.”