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

Fax: +220 227 034

Vienna, 2 November 2001

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute, the global network of editors, leading journalists and media executives, condemns the recent arrest of Baboucar Gaye and the closure of his radio station, Citizen FM.

On the basis of information supplied to IPI, on 29 October, Citizen FM interrupted its usual broadcasting schedule to announce that Gaye, the proprietor of the radio station, had been arrested by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). After his arrest, Gaye was taken to the headquarters of the NIA where he made a phone call to the radio station asking staff to halt their broadcasting.

Gaye was arrested for alleged tax arrears. According to the authorities, he apparently owes tax arrears of US$ 9,000. However, the arrest may have been due to the announcement that the radio station would air the presidential election results as they were returned. A decision that contravenes the Gambian law on elections which states that the electoral commission must be the first body to provide news of the election results. After being held for eight hours Gaye was eventually released but Citizen FM remains closed.

In the past, both the radio station and Gaye have suffered from the close attentions of the authorities. Gaye was arrested and Citizen FM closed in February 1998; at the same time, essential equipment was also taken from the radio station and Gaye was later convicted of operating a radio station without a licence. He received a fine and was forced to forfeit the station’s equipment to the government, thus preventing him from broadcasting. In 2000, after a protracted court battle, the Gambian judiciary finally held in favour of Gaye and the radio station. A decision made by the court on 3 July quashed Gaye’s conviction and sentence as well as the forfeiture of the radio equipment.

IPI firmly believes that the use of alleged tax evasion to close down a radio station is an abuse of the government’s powers. Based on recent history, IPI is of the opinion that the authorities are pursuing a vendetta for the radio station’s past reporting. With this in mind, IPI invites the Gambian government to do everything in its power to ensure that Citizen FM is allowed to continue broadcasting. By doing so, you will be upholding the principle of “everybody’s right to seek, receive and impart information”, as enshrined in article 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

We thank you for your attention.

Johann P. Fritz
Director