Friday 14 August 2009

Persecution of journalists continues in Gambia

Reporters Without Borders reports that five of the six Gambian journalists who were jailed for two years on 6 August on charges of defaming the government – Emil Touray, Pa Modou Faal, Pap Saine, Ebrima Sawaneh and Sam Sarr – were transferred from the capital’s Mile Two prison to Old Jeshwang prison in the north of the country on 10 August.
RWB says the sixth journalist, Sarrata Jabbi-Didda, who has a seven-month-old baby she is breastfeeding, remained in Mile Two but, on 8 August, prison guards took advantage of what they said would be a routine medical examination to take the baby from her. They then promised she would be able to see the baby at least twice a day, but it is now with the Gambian child services at Bakoteh, 20 km outside the capital, and she has not seen it since 8 August.

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