Global Magnitsky Act could be powerful weapon against impunity in journalist murders
Last week, the proposed Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act emerged from the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee with approval. The bill was passed by the Senate last year. If passed by the full House of Representatives and signed into law by the president, it has the potential to offer partial redress to one of…
CPJ calls on the Gambia to free journalist, drop charges against him
Dear President Jammeh: The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent international press freedom organization, is writing to express its concern about a Gambian journalist who has been held by the National Intelligence Agency since July 17.
ECOWAS court rules Gambia failed to investigate journalist murder
Abuja, Nigeria, June 10, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today’s ruling by a West African regional court, which found that the Gambian government failed to conduct a meaningful investigation into the murder of journalist Deyda Hydara. The ruling is the first ECOWAS case relating to the murder of a Gambian journalist.
Gambia’s NIA harasses, detains journalist without charge
Abuja, Nigeria, January 9, 2013–Gambian authorities should immediately release Abdoulie John, a journalist who has been detained without charge in Banjul since Monday, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. John has been harassed by the Gambian National Intelligence Agency since early December, news reports said. John, editor of the online news website Jollof News…
For Gambia’s press, positive developments?
Good news for Gambia’s beleaguered independent press has been rare during President Yahya Jammeh’s 17-year rule, but last week brought three potentially positive developments. It’s unclear whether they mark a real change in the status quo, but they may at least increase the resolve of advocacy groups to seek improvements.