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| Yahya Jammeh |
The European Union called on Gambia on Sunday to stop executing death row inmates and said the bloc would come up with a quick but unspecified response to executions reported last week.
Gambia has neither confirmed nor denied an Amnesty International report saying that 9 of its 47 death row inmates had been executed overnight on Thursday. An official in the president's office said a statement would be made on Monday.
But a leading opposition figure said those reported to have been executed should be paraded on television if they were still alive while international sanctions should be imposed on the West African state's leadership if they had been executed.
President Yahya Jammeh, whose rights record has long been criticized since he seized power in 1994, said in a speech last Monday that he planned to execute all the country's death row inmates by mid-September.
"I strongly condemn the executions which have reportedly taken place on Thursday 23 August 2012, following President Jammeh's stated intention to carry out all death penalties before mid-September," EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
"I demand the immediate halt of the executions," she added.
The European Union has previously condemned death sentences passed in Gambia, but Sunday's statement went further by indicating that action might follow.
"In light of these executions, the European Union will urgently consider an appropriate response," Ashton said. She reminded Gambia of a commitment to respect human rights in an accord between the bloc and a number of African countries.
The EU opposes the death penalty worldwide and often issues statements asking countries to halt executions, but the language it used in Sunday's statement was far stronger than usual, showing particular concern over the Gambian executions.
The EU plans to give Gambia 65.4 million euros from 2008 to 2013 under a European Development Fund program. The aid funds projects in areas such as infrastructure and governance.
Jammeh's speech - in which he said the executions would "ensure that criminals get what they deserve" - has already drawn condemnation from the African Union and Britain.
Amnesty said in a press release on Friday it had "credible reports" that nine people, including 2 Senegalese nationals, were executed overnight on Thursday. 3 of those reported to have been executed had been sentenced for treason, it said.
Gambia's presidency issued a statement late on Friday defending its use of the death penalty and dismissing "widespread rumors and speculation", but did not confirm or deny the Amnesty report.
"It is in the interest of the nation that the government should issue an unambiguous statement to clear the air," said Ousainou Darboe, leader of the opposition UDP party.
"If the government denies that any execution has taken place, it should go further and parade all those on death row on TV for their families and the public to see them. If the execution has indeed taken place, the international community should consider imposing travel bans on Jammeh and his ministers," he added.
Despite its poor rights record, Gambia is a popular destination for sun-seeking British tourists.
Source: Reuters, August 26, 2012
Gambia civic activists say that 9 on death row executed, Amnesty says dozens more under threat
Gambia has executed nine convicted criminals, the Civil Society Associations reported Saturday as Amnesty International warned that dozens more on death-row are under imminent threat as the West African nation carries out its 1st death sentences in 27 years.
President Yaya Jammeh vowed earlier this month to execute all inmates sentenced to death "to ensure that criminals get what they deserve, that is, those who killed are killed and those who deserve to be put away from the society are put away from the society in accordance with the law."
A government statement issued late Friday night said "All persons on death row have been tried by the Gambian courts of competent jurisdiction and thereof convicted and sentenced to death in accordance with the law. They have exhausted all their legal rights of appeal as provided by the law."
It added "the peace and stability of our beloved nation as regards to protection of the lives, liberty and property of individuals must at all cost be preserved and jealously guarded."
8 men and 1 woman were removed from their prison cells Friday night and executed, London-based Amnesty reported, quoting "credible sources." It said 2 of those executed are believed to be foreigners from Senegal.
A barrage of protests met the move, with expressions of shock coming from the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the French and Nigerian governments and human rights groups.
It was not clear how the prisoners were executed, but Gambia's constitution says executions should be by hanging. "What is however clear is that inmates were rounded up at 9.30 p.m. Thursday August 23 and that by the morning of August 24, the bodies were actually lying in the Mile Two Prison yard," the Civil Society Associations of Gambia reported.
Amnesty warned "more persons are under threat of imminent executions today and in the coming days."
Amnesty said the executions are the 1st in Gambia since 1987. Gambia reinstated the death penalty in 1995 but had not executed anyone, former minister Omar Jallow has told The Associated Press.
Amnesty said there were 47 inmates on death row before Friday's executions: government figures put the number at 42 men and two women and another 3 men reportedly also received the death sentence this year.
Capital punishment can be imposed in Gambia for murder and treason. Three of those reportedly executed had been sentenced for treason, Amnesty said. It's not known how many of those on death row have been sentenced for alleged coup-plotting, a treasonable offense that could indicate Jammeh is using the executions to get rid of political opponents.
Jammeh was reelected in November in elections that were "neither free nor fair," according to the U.S. State Department. Its annual human rights report criticized "the government's harassment and abuse of its critics, which resulted in a muzzled press and the death, torture, arrest and detention, and sometimes enforced disappearance of citizens."
Amnesty called the executions, if confirmed, "a hugely retrograde step" putting Gambia among a minority of African states that still impose the death penalty. 38 of the 54 members of the African Union have abolished the death penalty or, if it is still in their law books, do not perform executions, Amnesty International said.
Source: Associated Press, August 26, 2012
Gambia Society Associations Confirms Execution Of Prisoners
The Civil Society Associations Gambia (CSAG) has today confirmed the execution of 9 death row inmates at the Gambia's Mile Two Central Prisons.
The organisation said while it is still unclear exactly which location the executions took place and what method of execution was used, they were informed that Lamin B. Darboe, Alieu Bah, Lamin Jarju, Dawda Bojang, Abubacarr Yarbo, Abdoulie Sonko, Lamin F Jammeh, Gibril Bah and Tabara Samba were rounded up at 9.30 pm Thursday August 23 and that by the morning of August 24, their bodies were found lying in the Mile Two Prison yard.
Manka Manneh, CSAG chairman said families of the executed prisoners are yet to be contacted by the Ministry of the Interior.
"Many family members are contacting rights groups to intervene for fear that their husbands will be part of the group to be executed tonight or that they have actually already been executed," Mr Manneh said.
"CSAG views the secret executions as inhumane and cruel, and demands that President Yahya Jammeh and his brutal regime put an immediate stop to this wanton disregard for human life."
It can be recalled that last Sunday, August 20, President Yahya Jammeh threatened to execute death row inmates in Mile Two Central Prison. His remarks prompted an international uproar and CSAG in collaboration with Amnesty International, RADDHO and other rights organizations around the world demanded that Yahya Jammeh rescind his threats.
Since and despite statements from the African Union, Ecowas, the French government, Nigeria's President Jonathan Goodluck, and rights groups, expressing dismay at his announcement, President Yahya Jammeh has started the unthinkable by actually executing 9 death row inmates.
"CSAG is once again calling on the Senegalese, Malian, Nigerian and Guinea Bissau authorities to stand by their nationals and do what is right by them. All the necessary arrangements must be made to save the lives of these individuals.
"We also call on the Senegalese authorities to do whatever it takes to ensure that The Gambia Government throws light on the executions of its 2 nationals Tabara Samba and Gibril Bah.
"We call on all Gambians in particular the families of the death row inmates, religious and political leaders, human rights groups, journalists and the legal fraternity to stand up together and say "enough is enough."
CSAG said all Gambians must do something in their little way to ensure that the necessary actions are taken to ensure that our blood thirsty dictator does not get away with murder.
Source: JollofNews, August 25, 2012
Anger over Gambia execution claims
Gambia's opposition leader Ousainou Darboe called Saturday for international sanctions against President Yahya Jammeh if reports that he has begun executing death row prisoners prove true.
"It's time for the international community to take measures that will make Jammeh conform with accepted international standards," United Democratic Party chief Darboe told AFP.
Former colonial power Britain also expressed concern at the reports, which the Gambian government has not confirmed but said that death row prisoners had exhausted their rights of appeal.
Amnesty International said Friday that nine prisoners had been executed, less than a week after Jammeh pledged to hang all those on death row, estimated to number at least 47, by the middle of September.
According to Amnesty, those executed Thursday night included 1 woman and 2 Senegalese citizens.
The hangings were reported to have taken place only a day after the African Union sent a special envoy to plead with Jammeh not to carry out his threat.
"I have never throughout my career as a politician asked the international community to take any hard measures against The Gambia, but I want to appeal to the international community, that if Jammeh carries out the executions, it should order a travel ban for him and all his ministers," Darboe said.
He said Jammeh should be "thinking about how to secure food for Gambians, providing them with health care, better education and how to improve the living standard of the people rather than telling them he is going to execute people."
Amnesty International said that it had "received credible reports that 9 persons were executed last night in Gambia and that more persons are under threat of imminent executions today and in the coming days."
A Gambian security source told AFP that all death row prisoners had been "transferred to one place" late Thursday but he and other sources could not confirm the executions.
However the security source said, "The man is determined to execute the prisoners and he will do so," referring to Jammeh.
No dissent
In a televised address Sunday to mark the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr, Jammeh said: "By the middle of next month, all the death sentences would have been carried out to the letter.
"There is no way my government will allow 99 percent of the population to be held to ransom by criminals."
"All those guilty of serious crimes and (who) are condemned will face the full force of the law. All punishments prescribed by law will be maintained in the country to ensure that criminals get what they deserve," Jammeh said.
He added that crimes like banditry, drug trafficking or illicit use, homosexuality, murder, terrorism and other subversive activities against either the state or the people would not be tolerated.
Alistair Burt, a British deputy foreign minister, said in a statement Saturday: "I am deeply concerned over reports that 9 prisoners on death row in The Gambia have been executed following comments by President Jammeh that all death row prisoners would now be executed."
"I urge the Gambian authorities to halt any further executions. The UK Government opposes all use of the death penalty as a matter of principle."
Burt said Gambia had not carried out any executions since 1981, while Amnesty said the last one officially reported was in 1985. However Gambian sources have told AFP that people were still being hanged secretly up until 2007.
Jammeh, a former military officer who seized power in a 1994 coup, brooks no dissent in a country often blasted by rights bodies for abuses.
Many top officials have found themselves charged with treason, including the former army and intelligence chiefs and the ex-deputy head of the police force sentenced to death last year, for alleged coup plots.
Amnesty urged Gambian authorities to "immediately halt any further possible executions".
The president's office said in a statement late Friday that those on death row "have exhausted all their legal rights of appeal as provided by the law."
It added, "The general public is hereby warned that the peace and the stability of the Gambia ... must at all costs be preserved and jealously guarded."
Jammeh won a 4th term in office in November 2011 with 72 % of the vote, according to official results, with 17 % to Darboe and 11 % to a 3rd candidate, Hamat Bah.
The opposition boycotted parliamentary elections in March which saw Gambia's ruling party win 43 of 48 seats.
Source: Agence France-Presse, August 25, 2012