New York, June 18, 2009--A magistrate in the Gambian capital, Banjul, today charged seven journalists with sedition for criticizing President Yahya Jammeh's televised comments about the unsolved 2004 murder of editor Deyda Hydara, their defense lawyer said.
Gambian security forces arrested an eighth journalist this morning, although no charges were immediately brought, according to the Gambian Press Union President Ndey Tapha Sosseh .
Jammeh, appearing June 8 on state-run Gambia Radio and Television Service, said the government investigation into Hydara's slaying had stalled, according to media reports. Jammeh noted that a news Web site has carried a headline saying, "Who Killed Deyda Hydara?" and then retorted: "Let them go and ask Deyda Hydara who killed him."
The Gambian Press Union issued a statement criticizing Jammeh for being insensitive and calling for a renewed investigation into the unsolved killing. Four of those arrested thus far are press union leaders. All eight are staffers for either The Point or Foroyaa newspapers, both of which reprinted the press union statement. Hydara was editor of The Point.
All eight journalists are being held at Mile Two Prison, defense lawyer Lamin Camara told CPJ. Only one was granted bail. Journalist Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, mother of a six-month-old, was granted bail of 200,000 dalasi (US$7,547) but there was insufficient time for colleagues and family members to raise the amount, the press union reported.
One of those charged, Point Managing Editor Pap Saine, suffers from a heart condition and was planning to go to Dakar , Senegal , for medical treatment prior to the arrest, according to a CPJ source.
"We're deeply anguished by the arrests of these journalists, several of whom I met in my visit to the Gambia ," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon . "President Jammeh is acting in a petty and vindictive manner and should be held personally accountable for his egregious abuse of power."
The seven journalists charged with sedition were arrested by security agents on Monday, local journalists told CPJ. The charges were lodged today just moments before the government would have been constitutionally obligated to release the journalists. According to the Gambia 's 1997 constitution, a suspect may be held for no more than 72 hours without charge. Security forces arrested Abba Gibba, an editor with The Point, this morning, according to the press union.
The National Intelligence Agency has denied the journalists access to their lawyer, family members, and colleagues, Camara told CPJ. They are due in court again on Monday, when the lawyer said a bail application would be filed.
According to local journalists and the press union, security forces arrested Gibba today after questioning staff at The Point over why the paper was still publishing despite the detentions of senior employees. Security forces are holding Foroyaa's managing editor Sam Saar, assistant editor, Emil Touray, and reporter Abubakr Saidy Kahn, along with The Point's managing editor Saine, news editor Ebrima Sawaneh, and reporters Jabbi-Dibba and Pa Modou Faal.
Hydara, one of the nation's leading editors, was killed by unidentified gunmen in his car on the outskirts of Banjul in December 2004. In the June 8 state television interview, Jammeh denied government involvement in Hydara's roadside slaying.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is calling for the release of seven Gambian journalists arrested for reacting to President Yahya Jammeh's dismissal of an investigation involving the 2004 murder of journalist Deyda Hydara.

The seven detainees include three members of the Gambian Press Union, two reporters from The Point newspaper and two journalists from Foroyaa newspaper. They were detained on Monday after reprinting a press release that criticized President Jammeh for dismissing an investigation into the unsolved murder of journalist Deyda Hydara.

Tom Rhodes is the Africa Program Coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists. He expressed concern that the journalists have still not been released.
Yahya Jammeh (Photo courtesy IISD/Earth Negotiations Bulletin)
"Neither publication editor should be detained for republishing a press release made by the Gambian Press Union," he said. "The whole point of an independent press is to show all viewpoints and that is a certainly viable one. We call on the NIA National Intelligence Agency officials to release them immediately."

Veteran Gambian journalist Deyda Hydara, co-founder of The Point newspaper, was gunned down in 2004. There has been no investigation into the killing but human rights organizations have voiced suspicions that the government was involved.

On June 8, President Jammeh said in a television interview that he had "no stake" in Hydara's death. He hinted that the journalist had a complicated love life that might have resulted in his murder.

Rhodes said there are still many unanswered questions on the case.

"From what we can determine and gather from the Gambian Press Union, there's been absolutely no government investigation into the matter. The one positive thing we can vest from this rather dire situation is that at least the government is reacting to public pressure to respond to these allegations," said Rhodes.

Gambia has long been criticized for its human rights record and lack of press freedom. In 2006 veteran journalist Ebrima Manneh went missing. Despite repeated pressure from international rights groups, the Gambian government has never released any information about his whereabouts.

Rhodes says the latest arrests could trigger a downward spiral.

"Without journalists on the ground such as those at Foroyaa it's really going to affect what people know of what's going on in the Gambia in the wider picture of human rights," said Rhodes.

The Foroyaa newspaper is petitioning President Jammeh for the release of the detained journalists, including its managing editor Sam Sarr.