Gambia: Reporter for shuttered newspaper convicted over coup story
New York, June 6, 2007—A court in the capital, Banjul, on Tuesday fined a reporter for a now-banned newspaper in connection with a March 2006 story reporting the arrest of several suspects in the aftermath of a purported coup attempt, according to local journalists and news reports. Lamin Fatty of the private bi-weekly The Independent…
Backsliders: The 10 countries where press freedom has most deteriorated
New York, May 2, 2007–Three nations in sub-Saharan Africa are among the places worldwide where press freedom has deteriorated the most over the last five years, a new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found. Ethiopia, where the government launched a massive crackdown on the private press by shutting newspapers and jailing editors,…
U.S.-based journalist charged with sedition in Gambia
New York, April 4, 2007—A court in the capital Banjul today handed down criminal charges to a U.S.-based journalist, detained since last week by state intelligence agents, and released her on bail in connection with critical commentary of President Yahya Jammeh, according to local journalists.
US-based Gambian journalist detained
New York, March 30, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about reports that a U.S.-based Gambian journalist and outspoken critic of President Yahyah Jammeh has been detained since Wednesday by security services. Fatou Jaw Manneh, political commentator with the U.S.-based opposition news Web site All-Gambian.net and former senior reporter of the private Daily Observer,…
Gambian reporter said to be in state custody; CPJ seeks release
Your Excellency, We are deeply concerned about the well-being of our colleague “Chief” Ebrima B. Manneh of the Daily Observer, who has not been seen or heard from since his arrest seven months ago, according to sources in the media and human rights organizations.
Attacks on the Press 2006: Africa Analysis
African Union fails to defend press freedom By Julia Crawford When African heads of state gathered in July in the Gambia’s sleepy seaside capital, Banjul, their host had just shut down a leading private newspaper, jailed journalists, and halted a planned freedom of expression forum on the fringes of the summit. At the summit, the…
Attacks on the Press 2006: Countries That Have Jailed Journalists
ALGERIA: 2 Djamel Eddine Fahassi, Alger Chaîne III IMPRISONED: May 6, 1995 Fahassi, a reporter for the state-run radio station Alger Chaîne III and a contributor to several Algerian newspapers, including the now-banned weekly of the Islamic Salvation Front, Al-Forqane, was abducted near his home in the al-Harrache suburb of the capital, Algiers, by four…
Attacks on the Press 2006: The Gambia
THE GAMBIA The government’s announcement in March that it had foiled a coup plots was followed by a wave of arrests and an unprecedented crackdown on the independent press in the run-up to presidential elections in September. President Yahya Jammeh was declared the winner with 67 percent of the vote, giving him a third term…
Attacks on the Press 2006: Countries That Have Jailed Journalists
ALGERIA: 2 Djamel Eddine Fahassi, Alger Chaîne III IMPRISONED: May 6, 1995 Fahassi, a reporter for the state-run radio station Alger Chaîne III and a contributor to several Algerian newspapers, including the now-banned weekly of the Islamic Salvation Front, Al-Forqane, was abducted near his home in the al-Harrache suburb of the capital, Algiers, by four…