Gambia News : Gambia sedition missionary freed

A British missionary jailed for sedition in Gambia has been released, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

Fiona Fulton, 47, from Torquay, Devon, and her husband David, from Troon, Ayrshire, were sentenced to one year with hard labour last December.

Mr Fulton, 61, has not been freed. He has had three years added to his term.

They admitted publishing e-mails with seditious comments with intent to bring hatred or contempt against President Yahya Jammeh or the government.

Army chaplain

The Foreign Office said consular staff would assist Mrs Fulton, who will now be deported.

Friends of the family believe she will return to her children who live in Devon.

Despite publicly apologising, they were sentenced to one year in prison with hard labour.

The Fultons have carried out missionary work in the Gambia since 1996.

A former army major, Mr Fulton worked as a chaplain to the Gambian army, while his wife looked after terminally-ill people and visited women in their homes and in hospital.

It has been reported that Mr Fulton had three years added to his jail term over Gambian government claims that he had forged a car numberplate.

'Excellent news'

In January the couple sent their two-year-old adopted daughter Elizabeth to the UK.

Fiona's father, Peter McMinn, who lives in Teignbridge, Devon, told BBC News he did not want to comment as he was not sure what was happening.

But local MP Mr Richard Younger Ross said: "It's excellent news that Fiona's been released, but obviously she'll be concerned about her partner."

Mr Younger Ross said he would be working closely with Central Ayrshire MP, Brian Donohoe, to help secure Mr Fulton's release.