“The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has filed another suit at the
Community Court of the Economic Committee of West Africa States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria against the Government of the Gambia over a case of illegal detention and torture of journalist Musa Saidykhan.” said a statement issued by the Ghana Based Media Foundation For West Africa.

According to the Media Foundation “Saidykhan, editor-in-chief of The Independent, a banned bi-weekly Banjul-based newspaper, is among scores of victims who were illegally detained and suffered all manner of cruelty including torture at the hands of President Yahya Jammeh’s security agents in the aftermath of an alleged coup attempt in March 2006.”

““I was stripped naked while live-electric shocks were administered on all
over my body including my genitals. I was told by my torturers that
electric shocks on my genitals were meant to make me impotent.”” recalled
Saidykhan.

Following a news report of the attempted coup, The Independent’s offices
were raided and its entire staff arrested and briefly detained. On the
night of March 27, 2006 a combined force of armed soldiers and policemen
arrested Saidykhan in his home and took him to the notoriously feared
National Intelligence Agency (NIA) headquarters. He was held incommunicado for twenty-two (22) days without any charge during which he was tortured until he became unconscious. The continuous torture left physical scars on his back, legs, arms, and his right hand which was broken in three places.
mfwa@africaonline.com.gh
Website: www.mediafound.org