The Independent (Gambia)

The Independent ( The Independent German ) was a Gambian newspaper. The office of the publisher was in Serekunda - Kanifing. Last edition was a bi-weekly printed.

History

The independent newspaper publisher 25 freelance journalists was founded in July 1999. The press in Gambia but is patronized by the government of President Yahya Jammeh, of The Independent was also not spared and in 2003 reached its climax.

Just one month after the founding of the offices of the newspaper publisher, were searched by the National Intelligence Agency ( NIA). It made ​​the arrest and detention of several journalists.

Following the publication of an article in July 2000, which reports on a hunger strike in the Central Prison Mile 2, Alagi Yorro Jallow, editor and co-founder of the newspaper, was arrested by NIA. Jallow was arrested several times in a row on and bullied.

On October 17, 2003, shortly after midnight, three unknown men had overpowered and injured a security guard of a security agency. He could then get help using his cell phone and was replaced by another security guard. Later on, this was to be by the police pretext by four unknown men brought to the nearest police station in a green van. This drove away but quickly after they were got out of the guard. In the meantime, the publishing house was set on fire and alerted the fire department was able to save a lot. The offices remained undamaged, but the entire technical equipment for the printing was destroyed.

This incident occurred a month later than Abdoulie Sey, editor of the Independent, was detained and questioned by the NIA for three days. Three days denied the NIA that they had fixed Sey until they released him on the fourth day. Sey described that in his pick-up a car was used similar to that which was seen in the arson attack. Sey has been threatened in the past on the phone from anonymous callers with death and was visited by soldiers surprising in the offices.

On 6 May 2005, the pressure was set after the arrangement with the private, but government-friendly newspaper publisher The Daily Observer was adjusted unexpectedly. Publisher Musa Saidykhan looked for another option to the pressure, but other publishers refused to enter into a contract.