British missionaries sentenced to hard labour in Gambia

A Gambian court on Tuesday sentenced two British missionaries to one year in prison with hard labour after they pleaded guilty last week to sedition charges.

David and Fiona Fulton who were arrested in Banjul on November 29 were also fined 250,000 Dalasis (6,432 pounds).

As the judge read out the sentence, the couple and some of their friends present in court burst into tears.

The Fultons had admitted to publishing e-mails with seditious comments with intent to bring hatred or contempt against the president or the government.

"I found the offences of the accused party to be very shocking and they have shown no respect for the country, the government and the president of the republic. I will send a clear message to the offenders," presiding magistrate Idrissa Mbai said.

"I therefore sentence you to a fine of 250,000 Dalasis (...) and mandatory jail time of one year with hard labour," he added. If the couple does not pay the fine they face an additional six months in prison.

The couple can lodge an appeal within 20 days but it was not immediately clear if they would do so. Their lawyer Antouman Gaye told AFP he had not had contact yet with his clients an appeal.

The Fultons, who have been living in Gambia since 1999, have ties to the Westhoughton Pentecostal Church outside Bolton in northwest England.

According to the church's website, Fulton is chaplain for the Gambian army and has a ministry on the river, which involves reaching villages only accessible by boat. His wife looks after terminally ill people.

Last week the couple pleaded guilty to charges of sedition against the government of President Yahya Jammeh. They issued a public apology but their remorse did not mollify the judge.

David Fulton, 60, had been held in a remand prison while his 46-year-old wife had been held at the police headquarters as they had been unable to meet their bail conditions since they were charged.

The couple also have an adopted two-year-old daughter who has been staying with her mother at the police station during the day and looked after by friends of the couple at night.

The tiny west African country inside Senegal, has been criticized in recent years for its human rights record. Jammeh, an outspoken military officer and former wrestler, has ruled the former British colony since seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1994.

Last month Amnesty International published a report that said Jammeh's opponents are subjected to daily rights violations including torture and unlawful arrests.