Press
release
As
the institution of the State mandated to protect the rights of everyone in The
Gambia, the NHRC has learned with great concern the attack on some journalists
which happened on 21st November 2019 at the Janjangbureh - Lamin Koto ferry
crossing point.
According
to reports reaching the NHRC, three journalists working for three news outlets
namely, Kerr Fatou, The Gambia Talent Promotion and Paradise Radio covering the
ongoing President’s Meet the People’s tour. They were allegedly assaulted and
manhandled by some members of the Barrow Youth for National Development for
merely filming some youths who were complaining about the lack of
transportation despite the fact that they had already paid fares in advance to
be transported from Central River Region to Lower River Region to take part in
the Presidential tour.
The
NHRC is very concerned about the reported assault on the said journalists and
condemns any and all forms of violence on journalists as a threat to press
freedom and therefore unacceptable in a democratic society. Journalists play a
pivotal role in our democratisation process and their work must be respected by
all and sundry as expected in a democratic society.
The
NHRC commends the State for issuing a press release clarifying issues and
condemning the act. However, the NHRC calls upon all political party supporters
and everyone to respect the rights and freedoms of journalists as guaranteed by
law and to avoid actions that compromise their individual safety. We also call
on the Government to investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to
justice in order to avoid future recurrence.
The
NHRC urges the authorities to ensure that journalists covering the Presidential
tour, and any future activities, can do their work without fear of attack.
The
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), established by an Act of the National
Assembly in 2017, is an independent and permanent institution which is mandated
to promote, monitor, investigate and protect human rights, as well as create a
culture of human rights in The Gambia. Its other functions include recommending
appropriate remedial action to the Government regarding a human rights
violation, seeking appropriate redress on behalf of victims, and assisting the
Government in the formulation of appropriate policies and laws to guarantee
human rights.
