Musa Sheriff, managing editor of the Voice Newspaper, has been charged with false publication and broadcasting and detained after reporting to the Police headquarters on Monday.

Last week, his reporter Momodou Justice Darboe was detained and charged with false publication over a story titled “Barrow chooses Muhammed Jah as successor”, but was later released on bail.

This came after President Adama Barrow threatened a [civil] defamation suit against The Voice Newspaper, according to reports quoting his lawyer on Sept. 25, before the police intervened and turned the matter into a criminal case.

However, Gambia President Union’s President Muhammed S. Bah, said: “we maintain that the journalists have not violated any laws and urge the police to respect the right to press freedom and freedom of expression as provided for by the Gambian constitution and regional and international human rights laws that the Gambia subscribes to.”

“The Gambia Press Union (GPU) condemns the arrest of both journalists and urges the police to immediately release Musa Sheriff and to drop all charges against him and Momodou Justice Darboe,” GPU Secretary General, Modou S. Joof, also said.

“We urge the police to stop the harassment and intimidation of the journalists and allow them to freely go about their business – which includes holding the government and public officials to account.

“We urge the Gambia government to expedite the much needed reforms on media laws in order to protect journalists from unnecessary harassment and intimidation, and also to end impunity for crimes against journalists and media houses,” Joof added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba