December 17, 2009
The Community
Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on December
15, 2009 adjourned the case of Musa Saidykhan, a Gambian journalist, allegedly
tortured while in custody of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to February
23, 2010.
The
adjournment is to enable the counsel of Saidykhan to reply the submission of
the Gambian government, the defendants in the case.
Saidykhan,
editor-in-chief of The Independent, a banned Banjul-based newspaper, is among
scores of victims who were illegally detained and suffered all manner of
cruelty including torture at the hands of President Yahya Jammeh's security
agents in the aftermath of an alleged coup attempt in March 2006.
He was
arrested and held incommunicado for 22 days without any charge. During the
detention, he was tortured until he became unconscious. The continuous torture
left scars on his back, legs, arms, and his right hand, which was broken in
three places.
In order to
seek justice for him, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) filed the suit on
behalf of Saidykhan to bring relief to many other Gambian journalists who had
suffered a similar fate and have escaped into exile for fear of repression.
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:
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Website: www.mediafound.org
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