adminSix civilians and three members of the military were executed by firing squad on Sunday after their appeal processes had been exhausted, the interior ministry said.
It named the prisoners and said they had been found guilty of a variety of crimes, all involving murder.
At least one of those named had been previously identified as a Senegalese citizen but there was no immediate comment from Dakar.
President Yahya Jammeh last week announced plans to push through all pending death sentences saying he wanted to “ensure that criminals get what they deserve”.
The decision drew condemnation from the African Union, Britain and the European Union, which promised a quick but unspecified response.
Monday’s interior ministry statement appeared to reject outside influence, saying Gambia had the right to implement its own laws, and suggested more executions would take place. “All sentences as prescribed by law will be carried out to the letter including the death penalty,” it added.
Gambia lures British sun-seeking tourists to its beach resorts but Jammeh has frequently been criticised for his rights record since he seized power in a 1994 coup.
Amnesty International said that the executions took place last week. An umbrella group calling itself Civil Society Associations Gambia (CSAG) said it believed they were only made public due to the international debate over the issue. — AFP.
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