By Lamin Njie
An Ecowas Court of Justice sitting in Abuja has ordered the Gambian state to pay the sum of $100,000 ‘equally’ to UDP leader Ousainou Darboe and nine other UDP top figures who were arrested in 2016.
UDP leaders including Mr Darboe took to the streets on 16 April 2016 following the arrest and torture-death of top activist Ebrima Solo Sandeng. The UDP figures later filed a case at the Ecowas court of justice seeking declaration from the court that their arrest was unlawful under the African charter on Human and People’s Rights.
They further asked the court to take action against their subsequent detention and torture.
Justice Edward Amoako Asante of Ghana in a ruling on 20 January in Abuja however held that their arrest was lawful and that it didn’t violate articles 5, 6 and 11 of the African charter.
The justice however ordered the Gambian state to pay the sum of $100,000 equally to the 1st (Ousainu Darboe), 3rd (Femi Peters), 4th (Lamin Dibba), 5th (Lamin Jatta), 15th (Fanta Darboe Jawara), 17th (Juguna Suso), 26th (Nogoi Njie), 27th (Fatoumatta Jawara), 28th (Fatou Camara), 30th (Ebrima Jadama) “for the hardships and violations of their human rights caused to them by agents of the respondents”.
