The newly elected President of The Gambia Press Union USA branch Pa Samba Jow, is urging The Gambian authorities to release the detained Independent Newspaper staffers with immediate effect. Journalist Madi Ceesay and Musa Saidykhan were arrested yesterday by the country’s security forces after their leading paper published critical news articles about the dictatorial Jammeh government. One of the articles talked about Jammeh’s sudden wealth and the alleged foiled coup. Mr. Jow has joined press freedom defenders in calling for the unconditional release of these leading journalists in the tiny West African country. Below is the full statement issued by GPU USA. Please read on…..

The GPU-USA condemns in the strongest of terms the arrest of the Independent Newspaper staff on March 28, 2006 by the security forces of the Gambia. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained persons including Mr. Musa Saidykhan Editor-in-chief and Mr. Madi Ceesay, general manager.

The GPU-USA holds the Jammeh government responsible for the wellbeing of all those detained. This is yet another blatant attempt by the Jammeh regime to stifle and silence the independent press. The GPU-USA will pursue all legal avenues to ensure the release of all those detained and to see an end to the continuous abrogation of people’s right to freedom of press as enshrined in the Gambian constitution.

We, therefore, urge the international community to condemn this blatant and total disregard of Human rights and to impress on the Jammeh regime to cease all forms of intimidations and harassment of the press.

Pasamba Jow

Secretary General, GPU-USA

Cc.,

The Press

The US state department

RSF

Human Rights Watch

Amnesty International