The United Nations’ working group on Arbitrary Detention has, in a statement, called on the Gambian government to immediately release Chief Ebrimah Manneh citing his arrest and continued detention as being without legal justification and a violation of international law.

Following this verdict, the Senate Appropriations Committee of the United States has recognised this injustice and in an unprecedented move mentioned Manneh in the report accompanying the 2010 fiscal State-Foreign Operations bill stating that the harassment of journalists especially that of Manneh, will be considered in assessing continued United States assistance to The Gambia.

Manneh, a young Gambian journalist of the Daily Observer, was arrested in Banjul on July 11, 2006 by the notorious National Intelligence Agency (NIA) without any reasons and has since been held incommunicado. On July 27, 2007, he was seen for the first time since his arrest at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital in Banjul escorted by Gambian security personnel.

In April, 2007 media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) filed a lawsuit against the government of The Gambia at the Community Court of Justice of ECOWAS on behalf of Manneh and on June 8, 2008 in a landmark decision ruled that Manneh be released and compensated with US$ 100, 000 but The Gambian government has blatantly disregarded the order.

 For the past three years, MFWA  has been at the forefront advocating Manneh’s release; giving it global awareness through consistent dissemination of alerts and press statements, holding public fora and networking with other civil society organizations to pressurise the Gambia to respect the Community Court ruling.

MFWA whole-heartedly welcomes the decisions of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Working Group’s call on the international Community to take action should the Gambia refuse the order.

MFWA also calls on all African Heads of State, especially those of the ECOWAS sub-region, to unreservedly, and in the spirit and letter of the ECOWAS protocols on good governance and respect for individuals’ human rights; impress on President Yahya Jammeh to release Manneh and compensate him in accordance with the Court’s ruling.

Issued by the MFWA, Accra, November20, 2009

The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and all forms of expression.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-21-24 24 70
Fax: 233-21-22 10 84
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.mediafound.org