and 89 of the Rules of this Court, seeking to join the suit as interveners/ Amici
Curiae. The Defendant did not oppose the application. The Court granted the
amicus Curae thirty days to file a consolidated brief instead of the forty five
days they had asked for.
The
issues having
been joined
the Court proceeded
to hear Defendants
Preliminary Objection.
. ANALYSIS BY THE COURT
The Complaint is brought by the Plaintiffs against the government of Gambia,
a member of the ECOWAS, on the grounds of unlawful detention, arrest and
violation of Human Rights of Journalists across The Gambia.
The |“ Plaintiff/Applicant is a leading representative body of Journalists in
Africa
and
was
granted
official
NGO
Observer
status
by the
African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in April, 2013.
The 2”, 3" and 4" and 5" Plaintiffs/ Applicants
are Gambian Nationals and
Pp
Citizens of the Economic Community of West African States. (ECOWAS).
The
1" Plaintiff avers, that the Gambian
government
has relied upon its
sedition laws (section 51, 52 and 52a of the Criminal Code), criminal libel law
(section 178, 179, 180 and 181a of the communication Act) to detain, arrest,