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Editor鈥檚 note: This article was first published in the , an LGBTI news outlet based in Washington DC, US. Michael K. Lavers is the 叠濒补诲别鈥檚 International News Editor and this story was reproduced with his permission.

GAMBIA’S聽ambassador to the US on Friday defended his country against criticisms over its human rights record that includes anti-LGBT persecution.

[showads聽ad=MREC]Omar Faye during a telephone interview that nobody 鈥渃an say any gay person has been killed in the Gambia”.

The ambassador also dismissed criticisms over President Yahya Jammeh鈥檚 anti-LGBT rhetoric, including his claim during a speech earlier this year that in his country.

鈥淚t was an expression that was said in our local language that was twisted around,鈥� Faye told the Blade.

Faye’s comments come a day after that documents anti-LGBT persecution in the west African country.

The report notes Gambian police and officials with the country鈥檚 National Intelligence Agency 鈥減romptly rounded up鈥� dozens of people 鈥渙n suspicion of their sexual orientation鈥� last year that imposes a life sentence upon anyone found guilty of 鈥渁ggravated homosexuality”.

Anti-gay law prompted man to flee Gambia

A man who asked the not to publish his name said on Thursday during a telephone interview that he fled Gambia a few weeks after Jammeh signed the anti-gay statute.

鈥淭hey were going house to house, collecting people,鈥� said the man, a former bar manager who also asked the Blade not to name the country to which he fled.

The man said聽he was among the 18 people arrested during an April 2012 birthday party for 鈥減romoting homosexuality”.

He said the authorities initially released him, but police told him to return to the police station a few days later. The man told the Blade he was once again arrested because he denied seeing any same-sex sexual activity during the party.

鈥淚 know they got information that I was gay,鈥澛爐he man said.

鈥淭hey just took me and put me inside the cell. They started torturing me to say those boys were marrying the grooms, it was a gay party and stuff so they can use it as evidence in a court of law.

“They were beating me, hitting me, torturing me.鈥�

The man told the Blade the abuse he experienced while in custody exacerbated a previous injury to his left leg.

Prosecutors later dismissed the charges against the man and his co-defendants because of a lack of evidence, but he told Human Rights Watch the police took their fingerprints and registered them as 鈥渉omosexuals”. The man told the Blade that he was unable to find a job after the case and his father disowned him because of it.

鈥淚t was so hard for us,鈥� the man said.

He also聽told the Blade that he feels Jammeh speaks against LGBT Gambians in order to deflect attention away from what he described are the country鈥檚 other problems.

鈥淵ou have a lot of things to consider in your country,鈥� he said.

鈥淕ay people don鈥檛 kill people. Gays in the Gambia are hardworking. They are smart. They are doing their own things. They don鈥檛 do crimes.鈥�

US remains mum on travel ban against Gambian officials

State Department spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday told the Blade during his daily press briefing the US was 鈥渟till reviewing鈥� the Human Rights Watch report.

鈥淚 can assure you that the United States continues to place great importance on the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people and we鈥檙e going to continue to stand against any efforts to marginalise, criminalise and penalise vulnerable members of a society, including members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community,鈥� Kirby said.

Human Rights Watch in its report urges the US and other countries to consider travel bans or 鈥渙ther targeted sanctions鈥� against Gambian officials who commit human rights abuses in their country.

A State Department spokesperson in July declined to tell the Blade whether the Obama administration plans to implement such measures. Kirby on Thursday said he did not have 鈥渁ny decisions with regards to鈥� the issue.

鈥漌e have a variety of tools at our disposal and we鈥檙e not afraid to use them when we feel it鈥檚 warranted, but I wouldn鈥檛 get ahead of decisions that haven鈥檛 been made,鈥� Kirby told the Blade.

Faye told the Blade 鈥渁 lot of great things have happened鈥� in Gambia since Jammeh came to power during a 1994 coup.

He noted Jammeh has worked to improve the country鈥檚 infrastructure and education system. Faye added the Gambian president recently pardoned more than 300 prisoners, including those who had been sentenced to death.

鈥淲hen the president took over, there really wasn鈥檛 much in the Gambia,鈥� Faye told the Blade.

鈥淭here are problems. Every country has problems, but we should look for ways to overcome all of this.鈥�

Jeffrey Smith of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, a Washington-based organisation that frequently criticises Jammeh and his government, dismissed Faye鈥檚 comments.

鈥淭he fact of the matter is that Gambia has not turned a new page,鈥� Smith told the Blade on Friday.

Smith highlighted聽that Alhagie Ceesay, a manager of an independent Gambian radio station, has been in jail for two months for 鈥渃ommitting an act of journalism”.

Smith further noted Gambia鈥檚 human rights record 鈥� arbitrary detentions, cracking down on freedom of assembly and speech and torture 鈥� has deteriorated since an attempted coup against Jammeh鈥檚 government last December.

鈥淥ur own research, as well as the new Human Rights Watch report, shed undeniable light on these uncomfortable facts,鈥� Smith said.

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