Six Gambian journalists, including one who contributed to Reuters, have been jailed for two years for sedition and defamation.
The journalists were sentenced on Friday by a court in the country’s capital city, Banjul, after backing a press union statement that criticised the government.
The union on Saturday said it would appeal against their convictions, which have been widely condemned by press freedom groups.
Reporters Sans Frontières called on the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, to draw attention to the case during her trip to Africa.
”These journalists are prisoners of conscience, who are being punished for peacefully expressing their views,” said Erwin van der Borght, Amnesty International’s Africa programme director. ”They should be released immediately and unconditionally.”
On top of their prison sentences, the journalists were also fined 250 000 dalasi ($9 677).
The journalists are the union officials Emil Touray, Sarata Jabbi Dibba and Pa Modou Faal; Pap Saine and Ebou Sawaneh, publisher and editor of the Point newspaper; and Sam Sarr, editor of the Foroyaa newspaper.
Saine — who has a heart condition and at one stage reportedly collapsed in court — also worked for Reuters.
”Although this case is not connected with work he did for Reuters, Pap Saine has reported for us for three decades and during that time he has shown his commitment to our journalistic standards and values,” said Reuters’ editor-in-chief, David Schlesinger.
”We are concerned for his health and hope that his need for treatment for a heart condition is recognised by the authorities.”
The trial was prompted by a union statement that criticised the Gambian government’s treatment of journalists, especially after the 2004 killing of the veteran reporter Deyda Hydara. – guardian.co.uk