Press for union freedom in the Gambia

Criticise Gordon Brown and you get lost in the crush. Criticise Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, President of the Gambia, and you, your colleagues and your union leadership get charged with sedition and slung in jail.

That's what's happened to seven Gambian journalists' union leaders, and that's why the International Federation of Journalists, the International Trade Union Confederation and Amnesty International are uniting to condemn the Gambian Government and demand that all charges are dropped and the seven released.

The trial of the seven started on Friday 3 July (it was brought forward from 7 July to avoid international attention) and protests were held and letters delivered to Gambian Embassies around the world. See details of the London protest and a round up of the global activity. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear and Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen have all spoken out on this issue.

The case is explained on the TUC website and you can take action through Amnesty International.

This is a case where freedom of expression and freedom of association are both under threat. Please join us in protesting and demanding freedom for Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, Vice-President of the GPU; Emil Touray, General Secretary of the GPU; Pa Modou Faal, Treasurer of the GPU; Pap Saine, Editor of the Point newspaper; Ebrima Sawaneh, the paper's Deputy Editor; Sam Sarr, Editor-in-Chief of Foroyaa newspaper and one of his reporters, Abubacarr Saidykhan.

Owen Tudor