This followed United Nations's condemnation of the Gambian government over the detention of the journalist after a petition filed by attorneys from US-based rights groups,"Freedom Now" and "Hogan & Hartson LLP".
The American Senate mentioned Chief Ebrima Manneh's case in a report accompanying "the fiscal 2010 State-Foreign Operations bill".
US 'Senate Appropriations Committee" also said it noted with 'concern, the harassment of journalists and deterioration of press freedom in The Gambia,' particularly the three-year 'incommunicado detention' of Manneh, a reporter for the Daily Observer newspaper.
The missing Gambian journalist's case was raised at the request of Majority Whip Durbin, who is a member of Senate State-Foreign Operations Appropriations.
"The decision of the UN Panel is more than a powerful rebuke of the Gambia government, it is a warning to all regimes holding political prisoners without cause,' Durbin said.
Meanwhile, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, 18 November declared Manneh's detention "a Violation of international law," while calling for his "immediate release".
The Gambian government has, however denied holding the journalist who went "missing" since 7 July, 2006.
Dakar - 19/11/2009
Pana
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