22 May 2007

Alert

Journalist arrested, threatened with death by police officer for trying to cover student protest


Incident details

Fabakarr Ceesay

journalist(s)

(MFWA/IFEX) - On 18 May 2007, Fabakarr Ceesay, a reporter with the pro-opposition bi-weekly "Foroyaa Newspaper", was arrested and threatened by an officer of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU), a paramilitary wing of the Gambia Police Force, while covering a student demonstration.

Ceesay was threatened with death and detained for about 45 minutes at the PIU headquarters in Kanifing, a district in Serrekunda, Gambia's largest city, before being released.

An MFWA source reported that the incident occurred when Ceesay sought to cover a student demonstration. The students were protesting the arrest of some of their colleagues.

The source said that, upon realizing that Ceesay was a journalist, a PIU officer arrested him, seized his press card, and threatened him with a gun saying, "We can kill you and nothing will come out of it. . . You journalists are liars and unpatriotic."



Source

Media Foundation for West Africa
PO Box LG 730
30 Duade Street, Kokomlemle
Legon, Accra
Ghana
alerts (@) mediafound.org
Phone: +233 21 242470
Fax: +233 21 221084

The Gambia

Detained journalist granted bail 29 June 2009 Court convicts newspaper editor for "publishing false information" 26 June 2009 Detained journalists charged 24 June 2009 NIA storms newspaper's printing offices, three journalists in hiding 23 June 2009 Three press union executives and four journalists detained by National Intelligence Agency 16 June 2009

West Africa

NIGERIA: RSF urges president to take action following recent attacks on media 2 July 2009 MAURITANIA: Detained website editor faces up to five years in prison 2 July 2009 NIGERIA: CPJ urges inspector general to probe police harassment, assault 1 July 2009