NOTE: There was a delay in issuing the following 24 September 2003 action
alert/update. We apologise for the delay in distribution of this informaton.

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ACTION ALERT/UPDATE - THE GAMBIA

24 September 2003

IPI concerned about editor's disappearance and previous harassment of "The
Independent" newspaper

SOURCE: International Press Institute (IPI), Vienna

**Updates IFEX alert of 23 September 2003. For further information on the
Darboe case, see alert of 7 August 2002; for the Massoloka case, see alerts
of 7 August and 29 July 2002**

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is an IPI letter to President Yahya Jammeh:

H.E. President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh
State House
Banjul
The Gambia

Fax: +220 227 034

Vienna, 24 September 2003

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors,
leading journalists and media executives, wishes to express its concern at
the disappearance of Abdoulie Sey, the editor-in-chief of the bi-weekly
Independent newspaper.

On the basis of information provided to IPI, Sey was apparently arrested on
19 September by plainclothes security agents in the capital of Gambia,
Banjul. As of 23 September, Sey's precise whereabouts were unknown.
Moreover, the authorities have declined to provide any reasons for his
arrest.

According to sources who spoke to the Media Foundation for West Africa
(MFWA), officers from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the
Criminal Investigative Department (CID) have denied arresting Sey. However,
these claims have been met with suspicion, particularly in light of the way
these agencies have previously treated The Independent's staff members,
including Sey.

On 27 June, men dressed in similar uniforms to The Gambia National Guards
paid a night time visit to The Independent's office as staff were finishing
their work. The "predawn raid" is believed to have been instigated after the
newspaper printed a story regarding the arrest of a military officer for
alleged misappropriation of funds.

During the following day, Sey and The Independent's Managing Editor, Alagi
Yorro, were invited to visit the offices of the NIA where they were told
that the story regarding the officer had jeopardised the agency's own
investigations. The authorities have also shown a marked intolerance for
articles concerning leading political figures.

On 2 August 2002, The Independent journalist Pa Ousman Darboe was arrested
for writing an article about the apparent remarriage of Nije Saidy, The
Gambian vice-president. Darboe was released on 5 August 2002. Prior to
Darboe's arrest, on 19 July 2002, agents of the NIA arrested Congolese
reporter Guy-Patrick Massoloka who was eventually released on 1 August 2002.

In the opinion of IPI, the arrest of Sey and the previous arrests of The
Independent's staff represent an unwarranted assault on the newspaper's
right to report free of constraints and on press freedom in The Gambia as a
whole. The right to write and speak freely is an internationally guaranteed
human right and IPI invites The Gambian government to respect this and to
call a halt to its arrests of The Independent's staff.

Moreover, IPI believes that it is the duty of the arresting body to provide
details of both the arrest and the charges in order to allow Sey to obtain
counsel and prepare any possible defence. By failing to provide this
information, The Gambian government is reinforcing the belief that the
charges are frivolous and without substance and, as such, are merely an
attempt at government intimidation. Therefore, IPI calls on the government
to release Sey on bail and substantiate the charges against him.

Finally, IPI would remind Your Excellency that "Everyone has the right to
hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers", in
accordance with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and
that The Gambian authorities should uphold this principle.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Similar appeals can be sent to:

H.E. President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh
State House
Banjul
The Gambia
Fax: +220 227 034

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact IPI at Spiegelgasse 2/29, A-1010 Vienna,
Austria, tel: +43 1 512 90 11, fax: +43 1 512 90 14, e-mail: Michael Kudlak
at [email protected], Diana Orlova at [email protected], or David Dadge
at [email protected], Internet site: http://www.freemedia.at

The information contained in this action alert/update is the sole
responsibility of IPI. In citing this material for broadcast or publication,
please credit IPI.
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