mission is to free prisoners of conscience through focused legal, political, and public relations advocacy efforts.
Honorary Co–Chairs
The Honorable
Václav Havel
The Most Reverend
Desmond M. Tutu
Board of Directors
President
Jared Genser
Chair
Jeremy Zucker
Treasurer
Daniel Silverberg
Secretary
Haylie Iseman
Hillary Coyne Brill
Glenn Kaminsky
Micheline Mendelsohn
Board of Advisors
Prof. Karima Bennoune
Rutgers University
School of Law (Newark)
Prof. Jerome A. Cohen
New York University
Law School
Irwin Cotler MP
Parliament of Canada
Harry C. McPherson
DLA Piper US LLP
Nuala Mole
AIRE Centre
Prof. A.W. Brian Simpson
Michigan Law School
Prof. Christopher
McCrudden
Oxford University
The Honorable
Patricia M. Wald
Executive Director
Maran Turner
FREEDOM NOW
P.O. Box 30155 • Bethesda, Maryland 20824 • 202 629-3385 • [log in to unmask] • www.freedom- now.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
United Nations Declares Gambia’s Detention of Chief Ebrima Manneh
a Violation of International Law, Calls for Immediate Release
Washington, D.C., November 18, 2009 – In response to a petition filed by attorneys from Freedom Now
and Hogan & Hartson LLP, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has issued an
opinion affirming that the arrest and continued detention by the Gambian government of Chief Ebrima
Manneh, a senior reporter for the Gambian newspaper, Daily Observer, are without legal justification and
in violation of international law. In its decision, the UN called for the Gambian government to release Mr.
Manneh immediately.
Freedom Now Chair Jeremy Zucker stated: “We are strongly encouraged that the Working Group has
issued a clear and direct opinion in support of Mr. Manneh. We urge the Gambian government to release
Mr. Manneh immediately.”
On July 7, 2006, two plainclothes agents of Gambia’s National Intelligence Agency arrested Manneh in
the Daily Observer’s Banjul office. The agents did not inform Mr. Manneh of the reason for his arrest;
whatever the reason, it was clear that he was detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom
of expression. Mr. Manneh has not been charged with a crime nor given a trial. Instead, he remains
imprisoned incommunicado, while the Gambian government disavows his arrest and detainment.
Reports from Gambia indicate that Mr. Manneh may be subject to deeply inhumane treatment while in
detention. According to the U.S. State Department, Gambian security forces have used various forms of
physical and mental torture against Gambian political prisoners. In addition, Mr. Manneh has suffered
serious health problems during his detention yet has generally been denied access to medical care.
The UN decision is the latest in a growing number of demands for Mr. Manneh’s release. Last year, the
Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) declared
that Mr. Manneh’s detention violates international law. The Court demanded that Gambia release
Mr. Manneh and pay damages to his relatives. U.S. Senators Durbin, Feingold, Casey, Murray, Lieberman
and Kennedy echoed these demands in an April 22, 2009 open letter to Gambian President Jammeh. The
Committee to Protect Journalists also has called for Manneh’s release. To date, the Gambian government
has ignored these demands.
In response to the UN decision, Senator Durbin, the Assistant Majority Leader, stated: “This judgment by
the United Nations adds a new and important voice to the growing chorus of those calling for the
immediate release of Chief Ebrima Manneh who, for three long years, has been held incommunicado and
without charge or trial. The UN’s judgment is more than a powerful rebuke of the Gambia government; it
is a warning to all regimes holding political prisoners without cause. Freedom Now and the Committee to
Protect Journalists should be commended for their tireless work, not only on behalf of Mr. Manneh, but for
thousands of political prisoners languishing in prisons across the globe.”
Senator Russ Feingold, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs,
stated: “I am deeply troubled that Chief Manneh remains in detention incommunicado and without trial.
The UN Working Group has affirmed that this is a violation of the most basic human rights. If the
Gambian government does not immediately release Manneh or provide information about his
whereabouts, the international community should take action to make clear this is unacceptable.”
Freedom Now, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that works to free prisoners of conscience, and
Hogan & Hartson, an international law firm, welcome the UN’s decision. They call on the Gambian
government to release Mr. Manneh immediately.
Contacts: Jeremy Zucker 202.468.4648 / Erica Mintzer: 703.623.8767
_________________________________________________________________
Have more than one Hotmail account? Link them together to easily access both
http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/186394591/direct/01/
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤