Muhammad S Bah was speaking recently at a symposium to mark World Press Freedom Day held at the UTG Auditorium in Kanifing.
Annually, 3rd May is observed as a day to remind governments and other stakeholders of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom; for media workers globally to reflect on issues of press freedom and professional ethics; and to support media that are oftentimes targets of violation and abuse. However, the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day is “Journalism under digital siege,” that spotlights the multiple ways in which journalism is endangered.
“The union wishes to remind the government that it is the responsibility of the state to guarantee journalists’ safety and combat impunity and enable the media to carry out its work independently and without interference. This is in light of recent comments and actions by both public figures and private citizens (online and offline) targeting members of the media.”
Bah revealed that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice had in 2019, introduced amendments to provisions of the ICA, in order to provide judicial oversight for the exercise of surveillance powers, but the National Assembly rejected these proposed amendments, to the dismay of many press freedom and free speech campaigners including the Gambia Press Union, which had fervently advocated for these amendments.
“As a result, unregulated surveillance of citizens, activists, and independent journalists continued, reaching peak notoriety in 2020, when human rights activist Madi Jobarteh alleged that he and others were being targeted by security agencies with surveillance, including of their communications devices, after he was charged with "false information and broadcasting” in accordance with Section 181A (1) of”.
The theme of this year’s event, he observed, also looks at how big data collection and Artificial Intelligence (AI) impacts journalism, freedom of expression and privacy, and offers an opportunity to discuss and deal with digital inspired surveillance, trolls and privacy violations against journalists and their sources.
“In the context of the press freedom situation in The Gambia, journalists still operate under the threat of digital surveillance and digital intrusion due to the existence of an authoritarian legal and technological framework, put in place by the former administration, that still allows unchecked government surveillance of Information Communication Technologies.” he added.
The GPU prexy equally observed that certain laws such as Criminal Code of 1933, GRTS Act of 2004, Indemnity Act of 2001, among others are recommended for review because they have problematic and disturbing provisions that are not in line with international norms, standards and democracy.
“Four years on, none of these laws have been successfully amended. A number of Bills seeking to repeal the laws have been in parliament gathering dust while no concrete steps have been taken by the government towards repealing or amending the rest of the anti-free press laws.”
