Amnesty Campaign for Missing Journalists

Amnesty International UK
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release: Thursday 16 April 2009

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL UK INCREASES CAMPAIGNING FOR GAMBIAN DISAPPEARED JOURNALIST

Amnesty International UK today pledged to increase their campaigning efforts on behalf of disappeared journalist Ebrima Manneh following the Gambian Attorney General’s assertion that he was not in State custody.

On 6 April the Gambia’s Attorney General and Secretary of State for Justice, Mary Saine Firdaus, declared that Mr Manneh was not in custody in response to a parliamentary question before the National Assembly.

Amnesty International UK Individuals at Risk Campaigner, Kali Mercier, said:

“The Attorney General’s statement has intensified our concern for the safety of Ebrima Manneh. The Gambia’s National Assembly must carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into his disappearance as quickly as possible.”

Ebrima Manneh was seen being arrested by police in July 2006 and has been held incommunicado and without trial ever since. It is believed that he was arrested and brought into custody for attempting to print a BBC article that was critical of the government.

The government had remained silent on Mr Manneh’s case in the ten months since the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice ruled that it should pay him US$100,000 damages for the illegal arrest and release him without delay.

Amnesty International is supporting recent calls by the Gambian Press Union for an urgent, thorough and impartial investigation of the case by the National Assembly.

Kali Mercier continued:

“The lack of freedom of expression is a serious problem in the Gambia. Ebrima Manneh is one of a number of journalists who have been arbitrarily arrested and held incommunicado, without charge.

“His family is desperate for news of him. Amnesty International will continue to campaign for a full investigation into Ebrima Manneh’s case to establish his whereabouts and to ensure he’s quickly released from custody.”

Since November 2008, Ebrima Manneh’s family have received more than 5,000 cards and messages of support from Amnesty supporters in the United Kingdom and around the world.

Many hundreds of letters and postcards have also been sent to the Gambian President, Dr Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, calling for the immediate release of Ebrima Manneh as a prisoner of conscience.

Amnesty International UK launched a new campaign action yesterday to challenge the Gambian government to answer the question 'Where is Ebrima?'. Details on www.amnesty.org.uk/manneh

ENDS

Hi-res pictures of Ebrima Mannah are available from the Amnesty International UK press office.

For more info contact the Amnesty International UK press office:

Steve Ballinger, +44 (0)20 7033 1548
Neil Durkin, +44 (0)20 7033 1547
Out of office hours: +44 (0)7721 398984

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