Two Amnesty Officials, Foroyaa Journalist Arrested

Two officials of Amnesty International, Mrs. Tania Bernath, a British and American national serving as Acting Director African Branch; Mr. Ayobele Ameen, a Nigerian serving as Campaign Officer for The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia and Yaya Dampha, a local journalist with Foroyaa newspaper, were on Saturday arrested in Basse on suspicion of spying. The three are currently being detained at the police headquarters in Banjul.

The three told their lawyers that they were arrested by three NIA personnel just hours before the time to break fast and later handed to the police in Basse where they were subjected to what they call some sort of interrogation.

They revealed that while at the police station in Basse they were denied food even though they were fasting. They also stated that they did not make any statement in Basse as they insisted that unless they met their lawyers they would not make any statement.

Up to the time of writing this story the three arrested people were with the CID at the police headquarters in Banjul.