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| Sidi Sanneh |
Reports
reaching us are suggesting, as in the cases of the 85 prisoners claimed to have
been released, that, at least, one prominent "pardoned" prisoner has
either been returned to or never was released from Mile II prisons in the first
instance.
Families and
friends are urging us not to report on these developments, just yet. While we understand the anxiety of living
under a highly repressive regime that constantly threatens the well being of
the citizenry, we cannot also sit on information that will keep Gambians and
the rest the world informed of the human rights abuses going on in the country.
We have just
published a blog today demanding that Jammeh provides the world with a
comprehensive list of ALL those he claimed to have been released and to have
their names gazetted, among other demands.
It is for the very reason that many of these prisoners will be secretly
whisked back into Mile II only to have them "disappear" providing the
perfect alibi for the regime to claim that they have already been pardoned and
released.
The Jammeh
regime is engaged in a highly dangerous game of deceit that will be aided,
however inadvertently, by families refusing to cooperate with journalists and
advocacy groups in their efforts to bring the Gambian story to the world. Without the cooperation of families, friends
and relatives of "pardoned" prisoners, our task will be more difficult
than it already is.
