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Gambia News: Gambia holds two Amnesty 'spies'

Amnesty researchers Tania Bernath and Ayodele Ameen, and Yahya Dampha of the opposition Foroyaa newspaper, were detained in the town of Basse.

A spokesman for Amnesty said the team was on a research mission and that the authorities had been informed.

President Yahya Jammeh's administration has been criticised for detaining opposition activists and journalists.

A spokesman for Amnesty International, Irwin van der Borght, said the researchers and journalist had been attempting to visit a member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), Ousman Rambo Jatta.

Mr Jatta was detained during elections last year and has been in prison ever since. "We were detained on suspicion of spying," Yayha Dampha said after the three were brought back to Banjul. They all deny the charges.

Arbitrary arrests

Amnesty International has noted an overall deterioration of the human rights situation in Gambia.

JOURNALISTS UNDER PRESSURE Deyda Hydara: shot dead, Dec 2004 Lamin Fatty: detained 63 days, 2006 Malick Mboob: detained 139 days, 2006 Chief Ebrima Manney: goes missing, July 2006 Fatou Jaw Manneh: on trial for sedition, 2007 Momodou Lamin Jaiteh: goes into hiding after death threats, July 2007

President Yahya Jammeh came to power through a coup 13 years ago but amid claims of plots to oust him, dozens of people have been arrested and unlawfully detained.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)says arbitrary arrests and detention of journalists without trial have become routine in Gambia.

Eleven journalists were jailed for extended periods in 2006.