Please write a polite letter, or copy the one below, on your personal or institutional letterhead and mail to the following address.

[Date]

Hon. Marie Saine-Firdaus
Department of State for Justice and Attorney General’s Chambers
Marina Parade
Banjul, Republic of the Gambia
Fax: + 220 4225 352

Dear Secretary of State,

I am writing to express my concern over the criminal charges against U.S.-based Gambian writer Fatou Jaw Manneh, who is currently on trail for sedition for writing articles critical to the president. I understand that she was arrested upon her arrival in Banjul on March 28, 2007, and was held incommunicado for a week. Though she was finally charged on April 4, the trial is being unnecessarily dragged out.

I am very concerned that Fatou Jaw Manneh’s treatment is in contravention of the Gambian Constitution, which states that individuals be brought before a court within 72 hours, and of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil in Political Rights, to which the Gambia is a signatory. Given that she is being held in violation of due process and that she has not received a prompt and fair trial, I respectfully ask that you drop all criminal charges against Fatou Jaw Manneh.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name and Signature]

CC: H.E. Dodou Bammy Jagne
Ambassador of the Republic of the Gambia to the U.S.
Embassy of the Gambia
1155 15th Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005
Fax: (202) 785-7430
Email: info@gambiaembassy.us