Better to Light a Candle than Curse the Darkness

President Dr A.J.J. Yahya Jammeh
Private Mail Bag
State House
Banjul
The Gambia


Dear President Dr A. J. J. Yahya Jammeh:

Journalist "Chief" Ebrima B.Manneh, formerly of the Daily Observer, was arrested by plainclothes security agents at the paper's offices in The Gambia's capital of Banjul on July 7, 2006, a week after the African Union summit of heads of state. According to sources in the media and human rights organizations in The Gambia he has not been seen or heard from since his arrest. He has been held in incommunicado detention without charge or trial for over two years Amnesty International considers "Chief" Ebrima Manneh to be a prisoner of conscience, and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

Ebrima B.Manneh was arrested after he had allegedly made contact with a foreign journalist before the summit and was accused of giving information to this journalist deemed damaging for the country's image. His whereabouts, the reason for his detention, his legal status, and his health status have not been disclosed.

Authorities deny detaining Manneh, although reports suggest that he is being held at Fatoto Police Station in Eastern Gambia. Manneh was seen being escorted by members of the Gambian Police Force to receive treatment for high blood pressure at the end of July 2007.

On June 5, 2008, the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)--of which Gambia is a member state--declared the arrest and detention of "Chief" Ebrima Manneh illegal and ordered the Gambian authorities to release him immediately, restore his human rights, including his right to freedom of movement, and pay him $100,000 in damages.

The case of "Chief" Ebrima Manneh highlights a wider problem evident throughout The Gambia. Throughout 2006, research by the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Media Foundation for West Africa showed that authorities demonstrated an alarming pattern of holding journalists incommunicado, while publicly denying the detentions. A number of journalists, including Daily Observer editor Malick Mboob, were imprisoned in NIA detention facilities during 2006 despite official denials.

I call on the Gambian authorities to comply with the ruling of the Community Court of Justice and immediately and unconditionally release prisoner of conscience "Chief" Ebrima Manneh.

Sincerely,



Cc: Ambassador Tamsir Jallow,The Embassy of The Gambia, 1424 K. St, NW Suite 600, Washington DC 20005