Gambia: Journalists Under Arrest
By MISNA
The deputy editor-in-chief of The Daily News Lamin Njie was arrested and taken to the country’s Mile 2 central prison.
According to the Gambian media, he was the second journalist arrested in the past week. The Special criminal court of Banjul ordered the arrest of Njie, who is also assistant secretary general of the Journalists Union, following the publication of an article on the case of four ex-officials of the Gambia Revenue Authority charged with economic crime.
Njie is accused of releasing unauthorized reports on the trial against the ex-officials. A few days ago, also Addulhamid Adiamoh, the Managing Editor of the Today newspaper, was taken to Mile 2.
Gambia is ruled with an ironfist by President Yahya Jammeh, who was confirmed for a fourth term in the 25 November 2011 presidential election. In power since 1994 after a coup, Jammeh holds absolute power with constant rights violations, particularly against journalists and activists.