Amadou Scattred Janneh
| Amadou Scattred Janneh | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 September 1962 Gunjur village, Kombo South, the Gambia |
| Nationality | Gambian |
| Occupation | politician, academic |
| Known for | former Minister of Information, treason conviction |
Amadou Scattred Janneh (born 17 September 1962[1]) is a Gambian politician with Gambian and American dual citizenship.[1] A former Minister of Information and Communication for the national government, he was sentenced to life in prison for treason after distributing T-shirts with the slogan "End to Dictatorship Now".[2] After international protest from organizations including Amnesty International and an appeal by US activist Jesse Jackson, Janneh was pardoned and returned to the US.[3]
Background
Janneh was born in Gunjur village in the Kombo South district. At the age of 17, he began working for Radio Gambia. He later traveled to the U.S., earning a PhD in political science in 1990. He then taught for ten years at the University of Tennessee.[4]
Six months after Janneh's 2003 return to the Gambia to work at the U.S. Embassy, President Yahya Jammeh appointed him as Minister for Information and Communications. Janneh was removed from the post in 2005.[4]
Treason conviction
The T-shirts had been produced by the group Coalition for Change – The Gambia (CCG). Janneh was arrested on 7 June 2011 for distributing them. Three other activists - fellow Gambians Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow and a Nigerian, Michael Uche Thomas - were arrested the same day.[5] The four were detained at Mile 2 prison. Ndey Tapha Sosseh, a human rights activist, was also charged for her involvement in the T-shirts' printing, but was no longer in the country.[6]
The four detainees were tried in November and December 2011. A number of witnesses testified for the prosecution that they had seen Janneh and the other defendants distributing the T-shirts. Police also presented e-mails in which CCG activists discussed how to change the national government.[7]
On 18 January 2012, the court found Janneh guilty of treason and conspiracy to commit a felony and gave him a life sentence. The judge stated that he would have preferred to give Janneh a death sentence had it been permitted under Gambian law. Janneh, Keita, Jallow, and Thomas were also each sentenced to three years of hard labor for sedition.[3]
The anti-censorship group ARTICLE 19 described itself as "appalled" by the sentences and "deeply concerned by the state of freedom of expression in The Gambia".[3] Amnesty International declared the four men prisoners of conscience and called for their immediate release, stating, "Gambia must stop such acts of persecution and allow criticism to be heard in the country."[5]
Janneh was released in September 2012 following an appeal on his behalf by US activist and politician Jesse Jackson. Janneh returned to the US and stated that he would resume his IT business as well as work on a book.[1]
References
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