Dakar, Senegal - Several rights groups under the banner of Coalition for Human Rights in the Gambia (CHRG) on Friday hailed the recent legal action instituted by the Hydara family and their backers as the 'right step towards ensuring justice' in the 2004 assassination of journalist Deyda Hydara. The family of the slain Gambian editor and co-publisher of The Point newspaper, a privately-owned Banjul-based daily, recently filed a writ at the ECOWAS Community Court in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, seeking 'full investigations into the editor’s killing' on 16 December 2004.

'As we observe the seventh year anniversary of the cold-blooded murder of one of the finest sons of the Gambia and a leading press freedom advocate, we say to everyone who cares for the truth and human rights; 'justice for Hydara now!'” CHRG and the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) said in a statement.

'We wish to take this opportunity to commend the Hydara family, the IFJ Africa office and other backers for coming up with the case at the ECOWAS Community Court, which development we hope would help to bring justice for Hydara sooner rather than later,' the statement added.

The groups further stressed that resorting to legal action at the subregional court is 'a healthy and fitting move in our quest to ensure justice in the case; as well as to help end impunity over numerous cases of attacks against journalists, human rights activists and the larger population by the regime of President Yahya Jammeh.'

It further observed that since the killing, no serious or independent investigation was carried out and nobody has been brought to book 'for this heinous crime.' 

Hydara, 58, a press freedom advocate and ardent critic of the Jammeh regime, was killed by unidentified gunmen same day that his newspaper celebrated its 13th anniversary on 16 December, 2004.

He was shot three times in the head and two of his female staff, Ida Jagne and Nyang Sarang Jobe, who were with him in his car, also sustained gun shot wounds in their legs.

Pana 16/12/2011