Gambian president withdraws defamation lawsuit against journalist, media house

“We are relieved that President Barrow responded to appeals from local media representatives, the National Human Rights Commission..."

The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Gambian President Adama Barrow’s decision to withdraw a civil defamation lawsuit against The Voice newspaper and its editor-in-chief and urges Attorney General Dawda Jallow to drop related false news charges against the editor and a colleague.

“We are relieved that President Barrow responded to appeals from local media representatives, the National Human Rights Commission, and CPJ by retracting the lawsuit against The Voice and its editor Musa Sekour Sheriff,” said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa program. “We trust that the false news charges will also be dropped by the time Sheriff and his colleague, Momodou Justice Darboe, next appear in criminal court.”

Information Minister Ismaila Ceesay, Gambian Press Union President Muhammed Bah, and the Newspaper Publishers’ Association told CPJ by messaging app that representatives of the local groups and the Media Council were informed that the president would withdraw the lawsuit unconditionally when they met him at the State House in the capital of Banjul on Monday. According to Messrs Bah and Sheriff, the false news charges are expected to be dropped before Messrs Sheriff and Darboe’s criminal trial resumes on December 10.

Messrs Sheriff and Darboe were arrested on 26 September in Banjul when they arrived for police questioning a day after receiving a letter from the president’s lawyer threatening a civil defamation lawsuit over an article alleging that Barrow was preparing an exit plan and had chosen a successor for the 2026 presidential election. The journalists were then charged with false publication and broadcasting.

CPJ urged Mr Barrow in a 27 September letter that the charges be dropped. On 7 October, CPJ wrote to Gambia’s National Human Rights Commission chairperson, Emmanuel Joof, seeking mediation. Mr Joof and Commissioner Iman Baba Leigh met President Barrow on 23 October at the president’s holiday retreat to raise the issue, and also met Mr Sheriff five days later, Messrs Joof and Sheriff told CPJ.