H.E. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh
President of the Republic of The Gambia
State House
Banjul
The Gambia

Fax: +220 227 034

Vienna, 4 February 2004

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, is deeply concerned at the treatment of Alagi Yorro Jallow, managing editor of the private bi-weekly, The Independent, at the hands of the Gambian authorities.

On 2 February, Jallow was invited to Mansakonko Police Station where he was taken under police escort to Bundung and later Serrekunda police stations for questioning. Jallow said the police interest in him was prompted by a story carried in the 30 January edition of The Independent on who really owned the five-star Kairaba Beach Hotel.

According to Jallow, “I was celebrating [the Tobaski festival] with my family in my home village in Sankwia, near Jarra Soma, when a call came from the Mansakonko Police Station demanding my immediate presence at the station. I went to the station and met one Dampha at about 5 p.m. who said we would be leaving for the Kombos. He accompanied me to Bundung Police Station where I met Abdoulie Sey, the editor-in-chief of The Independent, at about 10 p.m. After a while, we were both taken to Serrekunda Police Station where we met with the police commissioner for LRD, Jata Baldeh, and some other senior police officers. We discussed with the police chiefs our Friday lead story on the Kairaba Beach Hotel. They demanded certain explanations and clarifications on the story which we made and afterwards we were released,” Jallow commented.

The Gambia Press Union has issued a press release denouncing the treatment meted out to Jallow by the police. “This is yet another demonstration of the arbitrariness of our security forces,” the GPU statement noted.

IPI is worried about the actions of the Gambian police coming as they do only weeks after a death threat was issued against Jallow. IPI calls on the Gambian authorities to respect the right of the media to report freely in accordance with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director