Gambia to pay compensation to journalists victimized by ex-president Jammeh

18 Novembre 2017

Banjul, Gambia, November 18 (Infosplusgabon) -  The Gambian government will start paying compensation to three journalists victimized by former president Yahya Jammeh before the end of the year.

This was disclosed by Cherno Marenah, Gambia’s Solicitor General of the Ministry of Justice during meetings with family members of the journalists, representatives of Gambia Press Union (GPU) and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).

The meetings were held as part of efforts to seek justice for victims of abuse under the Jammeh administration. The MFWA and GPU are facilitating the process of engagements between the Gambian government and families of journalists: Deyda Hydara, Musa Saidykhan and Ebrima Manneh towards compliance with the judgments of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice.

At the meetings, the Solicitor General, Mr. Marenah also apologised on behalf of the state for the various abuses meted out to the victims, saying the government would soon roll out the compensations.

Present at the meetings were Manneh’s parents and sister, Adama Manneh as well as Baba Hydara, son of  slain editor Deyda Hydara and journalist Musa Saidykhan, who is currently in exile in the United States of America, was represented by his brother, Foday Saidykhan.

A senior programme officer of the MFWA, Vivian Affoah was also present at the meetings together with Hawa Sisay-Sabally, human rights lawyer who has been hired by the MFWA with support from IFEX to offer legal counsel to the victims.

Prior to the meetings,Sisay-Sabally submitted a legal position paper to the Ministry of Justice, reminding the Gambian government of its obligations and urging it to comply with the ECOWAS Court judgments.

The ECOWAS Court sitting in Nigeria on 16 December 2010 entered judgment in favour of journalist Musa Saidykhan who alleged unlawful arrest and detention and torture by agents of former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh.

In the judgment, the court declared that the arrest of Saidykhan was illegal and unconstitutional, his detention for 22 days without trial and the torture inflicted on him also illegal.

Saidykhan was awarded damages amounting to US$200,000 to be paid by the Gambian Government.

Similarly, the ECOWAS Community Court also ordered The Gambia to pay US$50,000 in damages to the family of journalist Deyda Hydara, who was murdered in 2004.

The court made an earlier ruling involving another Gambian journalist, Chief Ebrima Manneh, in 2008 against the Jammeh regime. The court found out that the journalist was arrested by government agents and should be released.

The government was also ordered to pay compensation to the journalist’s family who was made to disappear and is believed to be dead.

During the former regime, the judgments were never complied with despite repeated calls for the court orders to be respected.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/POL/ GABON 2017

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