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| Gambia frees two Amnesty 'spies' | |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Two Amnesty International workers and a Gambian arrested on suspicion of spying, have been freed on bail. | |
| Amnesty researchers Tania Bernath and Ayodele Ameen, and Yahya Dampha of the opposition Foroyaa newspaper, were detained in the town of Basse. | Amnesty researchers Tania Bernath and Ayodele Ameen, and Yahya Dampha of the opposition Foroyaa newspaper, were detained in the town of Basse. |
| A spokesman for Amnesty said the team was on a research mission and that the authorities had been informed. | A spokesman for Amnesty said the team was on a research mission and that the authorities had been informed. |
| President Yahya Jammeh's administration has been criticised for detaining opposition activists and journalists. | President Yahya Jammeh's administration has been criticised for detaining opposition activists and journalists. |
| They were arrested in the town of Fatoto, some 250kms (155m) from Banjul, where they had gone to meet Ousman Jatta, a key member of the Gambian opposition who has been in detention for 13 months, said Dampha. | |
| "We were detained on suspicion of spying," Yayha Dampha said after the three were brought back to Banjul; they all deny the charges. | |
| The three were released on Monday evening but have not been given back their passports and have been told to report back to the police on Tuesday, he said. | |
| Arbitrary arrests | Arbitrary arrests |
| Amnesty International has noted an overall deterioration of the human rights situation in Gambia. | Amnesty International has noted an overall deterioration of the human rights situation in Gambia. |
| JOURNALISTS UNDER PRESSURE Deyda Hydara: shot dead, Dec 2004Lamin Fatty: detained 63 days, 2006Malick Mboob: detained 139 days, 2006Chief Ebrima Manney: goes missing, July 2006Fatou Jaw Manneh: on trial for sedition, 2007Momodou Lamin Jaiteh: goes into hiding after death threats, July 2007 | JOURNALISTS UNDER PRESSURE Deyda Hydara: shot dead, Dec 2004Lamin Fatty: detained 63 days, 2006Malick Mboob: detained 139 days, 2006Chief Ebrima Manney: goes missing, July 2006Fatou Jaw Manneh: on trial for sedition, 2007Momodou Lamin Jaiteh: goes into hiding after death threats, July 2007 |
| President Yahya Jammeh came to power through a coup 13 years ago but amid claims of plots to oust him, dozens of people have been arrested and unlawfully detained. | President Yahya Jammeh came to power through a coup 13 years ago but amid claims of plots to oust him, dozens of people have been arrested and unlawfully detained. |
| The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)says arbitrary arrests and detention of journalists without trial have become routine in Gambia. | The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)says arbitrary arrests and detention of journalists without trial have become routine in Gambia. |
| Eleven journalists were jailed for extended periods in 2006. | Eleven journalists were jailed for extended periods in 2006. |