Still Finishing Up

Went to the shops today, then completed another redraft of my Litigation Plan for the Media Foundation. I have started reducing the amount of stuff that I will bring home and started my initial packing. I am going to Mama Mia's tonight for spaghetti. A quiet day here. Will soon be home and know I have only a few days left to complete my work here.That said, ladies and gents, I am ready to return to the real world.

Finishing Up

Busy day as I helped set up the production of evidence in the Manneh case in Abuja. One of our witnesses has been taken out of the country in question, his testimony reduced to affidavit form as a backup, with his entry into Nigeria for live testomony on Monday. After the hearing, this witness will be unable to return to certain places so his future location and work will be part of what is taken care over here. Nothing is easy with regard to this kind of effort.The point is that there are different facets to the work here that one never sees in the states. That said, the attorneys and Media Foundation personnel exemplify the very best of the work being done to advance the human rights agenda and freedom of the press in all parts of the globe. They and the NGO's (Non-Governmental Organizations Persons), both in the states and out, march to a different drummer and thankfully so for the many people they help.

Just returned from a beer and dinner at the Betz home. They head for Cairo on Mon. so will likely see them Sun as we have a final evening meal out somewhere. Mon I will be at the office here hopefully working with the new Legal Director as he prepares to take over from me. Goodnight everyone.

Our Legal Team

Here is apic of our legal team: Mr. Akoto Ampaw of Ghana, me amd Mr. Femi Falana of Nigeria.

The Justices of ECOWAS Court

The acronym stands for Economic Court of West African States and it has treaty jurisdiction to hear and give dispositive rulings on human rights violations in the treaty states. All W. African countries are treaty members.

Justice Nana with our Attorneys

Here is a pic before the proceeding with our attorneys and one of the three Justices. Thereafter, she donned her ermine robe and started the proceedings. The next pic is of the Justices in their ermine robes.

At ECOWAS Court on Nov 20

Here is a pic of our attorneys from Nigeria who made the principal presentation on behalf of Chief Manneh who disappeared after being abducted by The Gambia police on June 11, 2006. He was never arrested. They are in English wigs as required. The three Justices were in ermine robes, which will be shown in my next pic. English common law applies but there is no provison for a default judgment which is where we are on this case since The Gambia has refused to appear or put on a defense. The presentation went well but after one hour of deliberation the Justices came out and said they want us to come back in one week and put on the actual evidence. So...next week that is what we will do. Later we learned that we will likely obtain a judgment after they consider the evidence. They will almost certainly deliver a defining landmark opinion declaring their court to not tolerate these impunity cases where a country is not held accountable. If we obtain the J then we can cause severe economic sanctions to be imposed. I hope we can shut down Gambia's tourist trade if we obtain a J. We shall see...

Day 49

Just returned from dinner with the Betz's and two other NGO's at a Lebanese restaurant called Le Bouquet and sampled various foods the ended the evening smoking from the shisha, an Egyptian waterpipe. All agreed it was mild smoke and non-tar with a slightly fruity smell. The Lebanese dishes were good and mildly spicey. Talked politics re the U.S. and Canada.

Off to bed as I have an early call to thew airport tom as I fly to Abuja, Nigeria to appear before the Ecowas Court to obtain a judgment in an important impunity case out of The Gambia. We intend to hold a press cf after this. The Court case is called for Tues. and we return to Accra on Wed Eve...goodnight everybody...