13 March 2008

Alert

State agents fail to appear before regional court investigating journalist's arrest


Incident details

Chief Ebrima Manneh

journalist(s)

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(MFWA/IFEX) - Five state agents of The Gambia, who were summoned by the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria in the ongoing case of a "disappeared" Gambian journalist on March 11, 2008, defied the court's order and failed to make an appearance.

The security agents had been invited by the court to clear themselves of their alleged involvement in the arrest and subsequent detention of Chief Ebrima Manneh, a former reporter of the pro-government Banjul-based "Daily Observer" newspaper.

The court therefore had no option other than to fix June 5, 2008 as the day it will deliver its judgment.

The security agents, three military personnel and two police officers, had been mentioned earlier by witnesses for contributing to the arrest and detention of Manneh.

In 2007, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) brought legal action for the sub-regional court to compel The Gambian government to unconditionally release the journalist.

The Gambian government has consistently refused to cooperate with the court.

On July 7, 2006, Manneh's colleagues witnessed his arrest at the "Daily Observer" premises. He has since been sighted in the custody of state security personnel, but the government has denied ever arresting him.

Updates the Manneh case: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/86573



Source:

Media Foundation for West Africa
PO Box LG 730
30 Duade Street, Kokomlemle
Legon, Accra
Ghana
alerts (@) mediafound.org
Phone: +233 302 242470
Fax: +233 302 221084
 

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More on this case

President urged to disclose knowledge of journalist's fate 7 July 2011 Four years on, journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh still "missing" 12 July 2010 UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calls for Manneh's release 24 November 2009 Authorities break silence on "disappearance" of "Daily Observer" reporter Chief Ebrima Manneh 16 April 2009 MFWA urges ECOWAS leaders to pressure President Jammeh to respect court order to release journalist 26 June 2008 Regional court orders release of journalist missing since July 2006 arrest 12 June 2008 IFJ fears detained journalist killed 27 September 2007 "Disappeared" journalist seen 31 July 2007 MFWA sues government at ECOWAS Court over "disappeared" journalist 20 June 2007 Police break silence on missing journalist, deny arresting him 26 February 2007 Journalist located after 188 days in secret detention 18 January 2007 Newspaper journalist remains arbitrarily detained, 3 months after arrest 18 October 2006 Missing journalist reportedly arrested by National Intelligence Agency; newspaper censored 19 July 2006 New wave of media repression after African Union summit; journalist missing, believed arrested, another in hiding 17 July 2006

The Gambia

Former minister gets life imprisonment for demanding an end to the dictatorship 19 January 2012 Newspaper journalist charged with criminal defamation 12 January 2012 Authorities fail to find editor's killers after seven years 16 December 2011 On election day, president displays contempt for press freedom 29 November 2011 Jailed lawyer pardoned 20 October 2011 See all alerts: The Gambia


 
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