The Gambia: Managing editor of private newspaper receives death threats

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ACTION ALERT - THE GAMBIA

21 January 2004

Managing editor of private newspaper receives death threats

SOURCE: International Press Institute (IPI), Vienna

**For further information on the previous attack on the "Independent"
newspaper, see IFEX alert of 20 October 2003; for information on the arrest
and detention of the paper's editor-in-chief, see alerts of 29, 24 and 23
September 2003**

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is an IPI letter to Gambian President Yahya
A.J.J. Jammeh

H.E. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh
President of the Republic of The Gambia
State House
Banjul
The Gambia

Fax: +220 227 034

Vienna, 21 January 2004

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors,
media executives and leading journalists, is deeply concerned over the
safety of Alagi Yorro Jallow, managing editor of the private, bi-weekly
Independent newspaper.

According to information before IPI, Yorro Jallow received a letter, dated
13 January 2004, in which a previously unknown group called the "Green Boys"
threatened to "eliminate" him if the Independent continued to publish
stories about Baba Jobe, majority leader in the National Assembly. "This is
a final warning to you," the letter said. "Stop it now or else you will
never see a newspaper again . . . Stop telling lies and writing about Baba
Jobe or you will regret it."

Baba Jobe was arrested on 25 December 2003 and faces charges of tax evasion
and other related economic crimes in what has become known as the "Babagate"
scandal.

According to IPI's sources, the police said they would investigate the
incident and bring those responsible to justice, but have thus far failed to
act upon their promise.

The threat against Yorro Jallow is not the first case of harassment or
intimidation directed against the Independent in an apparent campaign to
prevent the newspaper's critical reporting.

On 17 October 2003, unidentified assailants attempted to burn down the
newspaper's offices in Banjul. In doing so, they damaged Yorro Jallow's
office and the offices of the newsroom. During the incident a private
security guard was attacked and beaten with an iron bar. The guard, who
managed to call his security firm for assistance and prevent further damage
to the offices, was hospitalised as the result of head injuries suffered
during the attack. Although the police were called at the time of the
incident, they did not arrive on the scene until the following day.

On 19 September 2003, the Independent's editor-in-chief, Abdoulie Sey, was
arrested by plainclothes security agents in front of the newspaper's
offices. He was held incommunicado at the headquarters of the National
Intelligence Agency (NIA) until 22 September. According to Sey, he was
interrogated about an article that was considered critical of the president
and the government.

IPI urges Your Excellency to authorise an immediate and thorough
investigation into this latest incident and to do everything in your power
to ensure that journalists working for the Gambian media in general and the
Independent newspaper in particular are able to carry out their profession
without fear of intimidation.

IPI would also remind Your Excellency that everyone has the right "to seek,
receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers," in accordance with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, and that the Gambian authorities should uphold this principle.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Similar appeals can be sent to:

H.E. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh
President of the Republic of The Gambia
State House
Banjul, The Gambia
Fax: +220 227 034

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact IPI at Spiegelgasse 2/29, A-1010 Vienna,
Austria, tel: +43 1 512 90 11, fax: +43 1 512 90 14, e-mail: Michael Kudlak
at [email protected], Diana Orlova at [email protected], or David Dadge
at [email protected], Internet site: http://www.freemedia.at

The information contained in this action alert is the sole responsibility of
IPI. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
IPI.
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