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Case ClosedAkram EZEDIN: acting editor of the privately owned Islamic weeklynewspaper Al-Quds, based in the capital Addis Ababa, has reportedlybeen detained without charge since 11 September 2010. Ezedin (17 at thetime of his arrest) took over the running of the newspaper in January whenhis father, Ezedin Mohamed, editor of Al-Quds, was sentenced to oneyear in prison for a 2008 column criticizing statements made by PrimeMinister Meles Zenawi during an interview with the British newspaperThe Guardian (see previous case list). On 11 September 2010, EzedinMohamed was released and Akram Ezedin was arrested, reportedly onthe basis of articles critical of the performance of Afar’s local IslamicCouncil or Mejilis, published by Al-Quds in July. Akram Ezedin wasreportedly being held in a prison in Asaita, the regional capital of Afarand had reportedly appeared in Afar’s court four times but was yet tobe charged. Pre-trial detention is illegal under Ethiopia’s Mass Mediaand Freedom of Information Proclamation. Moreover, as Al-Quds is anational newspaper, any case against it should be heard in a federal nota state court. As of October 2010, Akram Ezedin was still in detention.[Update #1 to RAN 07/10] Case closed due to no further information.Temesgen DESALEGNE: editor of Amharic-language weekly Fitih, hasreportedly had more than 30 charges brought against him by the stateprosecutor. He was summoned by police on 22 January 2011 to hear thecharges, which included “tarnishing the image of the ruling coalition”,and was released after posting bail of US$500. Fitih also recently faceda libel suit by a parliamentarian, and in 2010 was prosecuted by theEthiopian Broadcast Agency, a state body in charge of issuing licenses.No further information: case closed.GABONOn trialGuy Pierre BITÉGHÉ, Désiré ENAME (F), Maximin MEZUI, Jeande Dieu NDOUTOUME-EYI, Blaise Mengue MENNA (F), Marc OnaESSANGUI: Five editors, Bitéghé for Le Mbandja, Ename for Echosdu Nord, Mezui for La Une, Ndoutoume-Eyi for Edzombolo, Mennaof La Nation and Essangui an independent journalist. Beginning in thefirst week of March 2012, police in the capital Libreville issued themsummonses. They were based on articles raising critical questions aboutthe use of a presidential plane by Maixent Accrombessi, chief of staffof Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, for an unofficial trip to Beninin November 2011. None of the journalists have been formally charged.However, if State Prosecutor Sidonie Flore Ouwe were to authorisecharges such as criminal defamation or contempt to the Republic,convictions would carry prison terms, according to the local journalists.GAMBIADisappearance: main case“Chief” Ebrimah MANNEH: reporter and sub-editor with the progovernmentDaily Observer, was reportedly arrested by two NationalIntelligence Agency (NIA) officers on 7 July 2006 and has held beenin incommunicado detention by the NIA at various sites ever since,seemingly without having been charged with any offence. The NIAhas repeatedly denied that they have the journalist in their custody; thegovernment also denies any knowledge of his case. It is believed thatthe reason for Manneh’s arrest is that he is alleged to have had contactwith a foreign journalist before the July 2006 African Union Summit heldin the Gambian capital Banjul. Manneh apparently gave this journalistinformation deemed by the Gambian government to have been damagingto the country’s image. According to a former colleague, Ousman Darboe,Manneh reprinted a BBC story critical of President Yahya Jammeh’sdemocratic credentials; his decision was later overruled by editors andthe relevant issue of the Observer withdrawn. Manneh has reportedlybeen moved around the country throughout his detention and although thelocal media has reported seeing him on several occasions, the governmentremained silent on the subject until April 2009 (see below). Last sighting:Manneh was reportedly seen on 26 July 2007 at Gambia’s main hospitalwhere he was receiving treatment for high blood pressure. He was said tobe very weak and was accompanied by members of the Police InterventionUnit (PIU), a paramilitary wing of the Gambian Police Force and PrisonService. Prior to the sighting Manneh had apparently been detained atMile Two Central prison on the outskirts of Banjul, before being brieflyadmitted to Gamtel Ward Hospital and then being transferred to a militaryclinic in Banjul. ECOWAS ruling: On 5 June 2008, the CommunityCourt of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) in Nigeria declared Manneh’s arrest and detention illegal andordered the Gambian authorities to release him. The court also awardedManneh US$100,000 in compensation from the Gambian government.The government refused to cooperate throughout the court proceedingsand has yet to comply with the ruling. Official position: On 6 April2009, the Gambian authorities finally broke their silence with regardsto Manneh’s disappearance when the Attorney General and Minister ofJustice publicly stated that the journalist was not in police custody andrejected the ECOWAS ruling. UN ruling: In November 2009, the UnitedNations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an opinion statingthat the Gambian government’s arrest and continued detention of Mannehare without legal justification and in violation of international law,and called for Manneh to be released immediately. New information:According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in a 16 March2011 meeting with the Gambian media that was broadcast on statetelevision, President Jammeh suggested that Manneh may have died.“Let me make it very clear that the government has nothing to do withthe death of Chief Manneh or Deyda Hydara or the disappearances of somany people,” said the President. He also suggested that Manneh mayhave disappeared after attempting to illegally migrate to Europe or theUnited States. On 6 July 2011, a Gambian National Police spokesmantold CPJ that the police have no information about Manneh. Manneh’swhereabouts remain unknown, though in an interview on 6 October 2011with the Daily News, Gambia’s justice minister, Edward Gomez, deniedManneh was in state custody and declared that he is alive. According toofficials from the British Foreign an Commonwealth Office, there will bean investigation into the disappearance of Chief Ebrimah Manneh.Detained*Abdul Hamid ADIAMOH: managing editor of privately-owned Todaynewspaper, was detained on 20 June 2012 by the Gambian Police on theorders of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court over alleged contempt of court.Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) sources reported that thearrest followed a complaint filed by Badou S.M. Conteh, defense counselfor a university lecturer standing trial for giving false information to apublic officer. The sources said the defense counsel accused the editorof misreporting the cross examination of a witness in his newspaper.Following the request, the court ruled that Adiamoh be brought beforeit on June 28, when the case will be recalled. However, the sources saidAdiamoh was picked up on June 20 and it remained unclear if he will be 9