Thursday, 17 November 2016

Two Journalists Arrested I Gambia Ahead Of Elections





Gambian’s president, Yahya Jammeh, addressing the UN general assembly in 2014.  Gambian’s president, Yahya Jammeh, addressing the UN general assembly in 2014. 
They are detained without charge as 30 people opposed to the rule of President Yahya Jammeh begin three-year jail sentences for attending a peaceful protest
The director-general of the Gambia’s state TV and radio broadcaster, Momodou Sabally, was dimissed last week and immediately arrested by the security services on unspecified charges.
Soon after, a reporter with the same broadcaster, GRTS, Bakary Fatty, was also detained by members of the national intelligence agency, reported Gainako.
These arrests were followed by a third. Alhagie Manka, a documentary maker, TV director and and photojournalist, was taken into custody after taking photographs of a presidential motorcade.
All three have yet to appear in court, which is said by Human Rights Watch (HRW), to be a violation of Gambian law.
The arrests come ahead of elections set for 1 December in which the president, Yahya Jammeh, will be seeking a fifth consecutive five-year term. Widely described as a dictator, he took power in Gambia in a 1994 military coup and has since won four elections.

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