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Gambia News : US report catalogues human rights violations in Gambia
Banjul, Gambia - The United States has published a critical report on
the 2007 human rights situation in the Gambia, among them arbitrary
arrest and dete n tion of political opponents; poor prison conditions
and disappearances.
It however highlighted some positive strives the country made in its human right s records in the same year.
The
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are submitted annually by the
U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Congress in compliance with
sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(FAA), as amended, and section 504 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended.
Announcing
the publication of the report in Washington, DC, Secretary of State C
ondoleeza Rice quoted President George W. Bush’s phrase: “Freedom can
be resiste d , and freedom can be delayed, but freedom cannot be
denied.”
Rice noted: “Change may, indeed change will, take time,
but change will come. As long as citizens around the world champion the
universal values of human rights , there is hope. And we, in the United
States, continue to believe that it is our duty to support these
courageous men and women. And it is in that spirit that I a m pleased
to present these Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007.”
While
pointing out that the Gambian constitution and law prohibit arbitrary
arre st and detention, she said there were however “instances of police
and security f orces arbitrarily arresting and detaining citizens.”
The
report especially pointed to the continued detention, without charge,
of YaY a Bajinka, a security agent, who was arrested since July 2006.
It
also spoke of the prolonged trial and detention of Hamadi Sowe, a
civilian, a rrested in connection with the 21 March, 2006 foiled coup
against the government of President Yahya Jammeh, who himself came to
power through a coup in 1994.
“On 12 October 2007, Ousman Jatta
(an opposition elected councillor) who had bee n in detention since
September 2006, was released from detention following a thi r d high
court order for his release 5 June.
"Jatta was re-arrested twice
in 2006 without charge, for expressing views in dis agreement with the
government,” said the report.
According to it, the Indemnity Act
continued to prevent victims from seeking red ress in torture cases
related to official actions taken by military personnel du r ing the
country’s period of military rule from 1994 to 1996.
“Throughout
the year, defendants, including those held in connection with the Ma
rch 2006 coup plot, made credible reports of being tortured while in
detention.
The torture claims included allegations of
electrocution, cigarette burns, plast ic bags held over people’s heads,
knife wounds, cold water treatments and threat s of being shot.
The government did not respond to these allegations,” the State Department’s rep ort disclosed.
It
said local jails in the Gambia were over-crowded, and inmates,
including deta inees awaiting trial, occasionally slept on the floor.
The
report also spoke on the “deterioration” of the Gambia’s media
environment, citing the government closure of the Independent
newspaper, and harassment of jo u rnalists.
“The
Senegalese-owned radio station SUD FM, whose license was revoked by the
gov ernment in 2005, remained closed during the year,” it said, noting
that Fatou Ja w Manneh, a Gambian journalist and political activist
living overseas, was detain e d upon arrival in the Gambia.
After
being held for six days, beyond the 72-hour legal limit, Jaw Manneh, it
st ated, was charged with three counts of sedition and his trial was
still ongoing.
On positive notes, the State Department reports
acknowledged that the Gambia con tinued to recruit judges and
magistrates from other Commonwealth countries in a b id to alleviate
the backlog of cases in the courts.
It also noted the government
has cooperated with the office of the UN High Commi ssioner for
Refugees and asylum seekers with integration efforts.
It also said the Red Cross Society and other agencies provide protection and ass istance to refugees.
Other
areas the Gambian government was given a pat on the back were academic
fre edom and cultural rights, freedom of religion, as well as the
protection of wome n and children.
“There were no government
restrictions on academic freedom or cultural rights. T he constitution
and law provide for freedom of assembly and association, and the
government generally respected these rights in practice.
“The constitution and law provide for freedom of religion and the government gen erally respected this in practice,” it stated.
Meanwhile,
the State Department had also published reports on human rights pract
ices in Senegal, Canada, China, among other countries, highlighting
both the pos i tive and negative pictures.
1631 times read
- i am not surprise that one day, of such thing will happen, and this is just a step forward in looking into the judicial rullin of the gambian government.
a country were only the rich and the powerful survive such illegal and inhuman things happens and the internationalcommuniy keeps shout.
many people are missing and others being kept.. this is not the are for slavery, the where about of every person should be know first to his or her family. the gambian goverment has many of these to answer, tell will tell at the international court of justise. we'av seen examples from very powerful world leaders.
(Posted on March 17, 2008, 8:25 PM musa)
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