A Gambian journalist who wrote about the problems the country's police face in investigating human trafficking was arrested and accused of spreading false news.
Sanna Camara, who wrote a story headlined "Police admit 'problems' with human trafficking", was summoned to police headquarters in Banjul after it was published.
His story was based on an interview with a police spokesman David Kujabi, in reaction to the US state department's 2014 "Trafficking in Persons" report which cited the Gambia as "a source and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking."
After his arrest, Camara reported that he was questioned for four hours and eventually told he would be charged with publishing false news. Hespent the night in a cell and was del;eased the following afternoon.
The incident has been highlighted by the New York-based press freedom watchdog, the Committee to Protect Journalists. Its African programme co-ordinator, Sue Valentine, said: "Human trafficking is a global problem which the Gambian police cannot solve by harassing journalists who report on it.
"We urge police to stop harassing Sanna Camara, who neither created the problem nor authored the US government report, but merely sought and shared the police perspective."
Camara told CPJ: "My situation is increasingly becoming a concern."
