GAMBIAN MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT
2153 VALETINE AVE
BRONX, NY 10457
Tel. 347 444 6056 Fax: 347 271 9117
September 26th 2013
The Gambia President Yahya Jammeh is a shame to lead the Gambia:
The Gambian President A.J.J. Yahya Jammeh and his ministers are in New York to attend the United Nations 68 General Assembly and to carry other businesses. Gambians under the Umbrella of the Movement for Democracy and Development (GMDD) launched some series of protest to draw the attention of Democratic Organizations, Human Rights Organizations and Media Organizations to the appalling human rights record of President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh’s regime in The Gambia.
President Yahya Jammeh’s regime has cracked down on political freedom and commits widespread human rights violations with total impunity. Freedom remains an illusion for most Gambians, who live in fear of arbitrary arrest, torture, incommunicado, detention, unfair trials, rape, disappearance, and extra-judicial executions.
ARBITRARY ARREST AND UNFAIR TRIALS:
Over eighty people were incarcerated and held incommunicado in appalling conditions after waves of arrests in November of 2009 and in March 2010. Only eight have been tried, in a so-called treason trial where they are accused of fomenting a coup. The eight men were accused of procuring arms, equipment, and mercenaries to stage a coup against President Yahya Jammeh’s regime. Judge Emmanuel Amadi found them guilty of treason and sentenced them all to death.
Some members of the opposition parties have always been prevented from holding political rallies at times have been jailed for organizing one. Femi Peters the organizing secretary of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) was sentenced to one year mandatory jail term plus a ten thousands dalasis (D10, 000) fine for organizing a political rally without permit and usage of microphone.
Dr. Amadou Janneh the head of the CCG was arrested for distributing T-shits and convicted life in prison for just calling on the Gambian government to end dictatorship.
Nine people convicted to life in prison were executed last year.
The trial totally violated a host of international fair trial standards. Detainees had little or no access to their lawyers or even their families. Sources indicate that the accused have been tortured, while others were pressured to provide false testimony at the trial, under threat of imprisonment and torture.
Conditions in Gambian prisons, especially in Mile two Central Prison and other secret detention centres, military barracks, secret quarters in police stations, police stations in remote areas, and warehouses are appalling. They amount to a violation of the right not to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment.
ARBITRARY DETENTIONS:
The Gambia’s human rights situation deteriorated after 1994, when Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh came to power through a coup d’etat and banned all political parties or political activities. Since March 2006, when President Jammeh claimed to have uncovered an attempted coup plot, the situation has gotten steadily worse.
Members of the President’s own personal protection guards call the (JUNGULARS) who are under his direct control – carry out the most egregious abuses, as do certain units in the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) often referred to as green boys or ninjas boys. However, the army and police also commit serious human rights violations.
The security services routinely detain people without charge (during which time they are often tortured or ill-treated), or unlawfully imprisons them after unfair trials. Several individuals are known to have disappeared, died in custody, and died shortly after release in some cases.
JOURNALISTS AT SERIOUS RISK:
Freedom of expression is severely limited: journalists are arbitrarily arrested if suspected of leaking critical information or writing stories unfavourable to the authorities. Newspapers have been closed down or had their websites hacked into. Journalists and members of the opposition are harassed, threatened, and unlawfully killed.
Two cases involving Gambian journalists have been brought to the attention of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice since 2006. One case concerns Daily Observerjournalist Chief Ebrima Manneh – a victim of enforced disappearance for three years despite the Court’s ruling that he be released and damages be paid to his family.
In another case, former editor of The Independent newspaper Musa Saidykhan alleges he was tortured by the NIA in 2006. Moreover, the 2004 murder of Deydra Hydara, former editor of The Point newspaper, who was allegedly killed by government operatives, has never been solved. Since 1994, at least 27 journalists have left The Gambia in fear for their lives.
President Yahya Jammeh has also expelled the Unicef envoy, threatened to kill human rights defenders, warned that he will cut off the heads of all gays in Gambia, and announced that he will start executing those sentenced to death in order to counter rising crime.
WITCH HUNTS:
In March 2009, a state-sponsored witch-hunt led to approximately 1,000 people being snatched from their villages and taken to secret detention centres by “witch hunters.”Amnesty International reported that after being kidnapped, they were forced to drink hallucinogenic concoctions in secret detention centres, and tortured to confess to witchcraft. The liquid they were forced to drink appeared to lead to kidney problems and to at least six deaths from kidney failure.
TOURISTS AND VISITORS:
Tourists and visitors are also subject to unlawful arrests, torture and ill-treatment by security forces. In July 2005 a group of 50 foreigners, including 44 West Africans / Ghanaians, were reportedly killed by members of the Gambia security forces. A report carried out jointly by ECOWAS and the UN determined that rogue security forces were responsible. So far, the Gambian government has not taken any steps to bring the perpetrators to justice.
CALL FOR ACTION:
We call on teachers, students, lawyers, professors and human rights activists to join (GMDD) protest and condemn the strongest terms the visiting Gambian President about the above mentioned appalling record. Call on the visiting Gambia President and Government’s officials to stop torture, unfair trials and terror on Gambians. Restore freedom of expression and democracy.
Sincerely,
Saihou Mballow
Chairperson
LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY!
LONG LIVE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION!
DOWN WITH DICTATORSHIP!
Down with Yahya Jammeh !
Down with Yahya Jammeh!
Down with the APRC Party!
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