The ECOWAS Community Court hearing the case of torture brought by Musa Saidykhan, a Gambian journalist against the operatives of the Gambia’s notorious National Intelligence Agency (NIA), on June 30, 2009 dismissed the preliminary objections raised by the Gambian government, the defendant in the case.

Halifa Sallah, publisher of privately-owned Banjul-based Foroyaa newspaper was on June 18, 2009 arrested and detained by the notoriously feared National Intelligence Agency (NIA) of the Gambia.