Gambian detainee feared at risk of torture

BANJUL, Gambia, March 18 (UPI) -- A Gambian man apparently arrested for writing articles criticizing the use of witch doctors by the government is at risk of torture, advocates say.

Amnesty International said in a release Wednesday it is concerned that Halifa Sallah could be tortured or otherwise ill-treated and become the victim of an unfair trial at the hands of the Gambian government.

Amnesty said Sallah was charged with sedition and spying on March 11 and sent to Mile II, the central prison in the Gambia, with his next court date set for March 25.

Since January, he has been writing articles for the opposition newspaper Foroyya about the activities of witch doctors from Mali and other West African states. The witch doctors have reportedly been invited to the Gambia to identify witches in villages. Gambian President Yahya Jammeh invited the witch doctors into the country after blaming witches for the death of his aunt.

Witnesses told Amnesty that those suspected of being witches are attacked, arrested and forced to drink concoctions are were supposed to determine whether they were witches. In some cases, they were beaten almost to the point of death, the human rights group said.