Gambia to boost press freedom in constitution overhaul

The Gambia’s press is set to win unprecedented freedom when its new government overhauls the constitution of former leader Yahya Jammeh, its freshly appointed justice minister has said.

Abubacarr Tambadou, a former UN assistant prosecutor, said Tuesday on being sworn in that he hoped to remove restrictive laws on the media.

“We will be starting a constitutional review process with a view to ensuring that our constitution is relevant and serves the purpose for which Gambians adopted it,” Tambadou said.

Reform “particularly in the criminal justice sector and media law reform,” were priorities, he said.

Journalists were regularly slapped with crimes including sedition, slander and publication of false news under Jammeh, offences described as “catch-all” by Amnesty International, and many served jail time.