Glasgow Fair Vigil for Jailed Gambian Journalists

Glasgow Fair Monday was a holiday of a different kind for LOCAL NEWS journalists and friends who took part in a vigil in Buchanan Street. They were showing solidarity with six journalists in The Gambia who have been imprisoned on charges of sedition and whose trial was due to start that day.

 

Held ‘in camera’ – privately without any public or press being present – the trial continues. All plead not guilty.

Said LOCAL NEWS editor Grace Franklin: ‘When a refugee from Gambia told me about the plight of these journalists I was shocked. I didn’t know the situation in that country was so bad. If I’d be a journalist there instead of here in Scotland, I could well be in jail with them.’

In the course of the day more than 30 people signed postcards which have been sent to the notorious Two Mile prison where there can be 15 in a cell 5.3m x 3.3m and some of the 140+ prisoners held on remand, have not had their cases heard in court for as long as eight years.

Among the people who took part in the vigil were:- James Doherty, President of the National Union of Journalists and a leading public relations officer in Glasgow: Anas Sarwar, the Labour Party candidate for the Glasgow Central constituency seat held by his father Mohammad Sarwar and Austin Sheridan the 16-year-old, newly elected member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Govan constituency. A member of the Scottish National Party, Austin stayed the whole day and said it was a ‘learning experience’ for him.

UPDATE – The journalists were all found guilty, sentenced to two years in jail and fined 250,000 dalasi (about £6,000) each. Average annual income in the Gambia is about £200 per annum. The following story from Reporters without Borders gives the latest on the plight of the journalists. http://www.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=34183