By Momodou Justice Darboe
Human rights activists and civil society organisations in the country are deeply concerned about the continued remand on bail of some Gambian nationals arrested in connection with a botched protest .
The 15 Gambians were arrested on May 10 in Senegambia as they assembled there to protest moves to amend the three-year agreement reached by coalition partners in 2016 for Mr Adama Barrow to oversee a transitional program.
The 15 people among them eight women have been charged with various offences and granted bail but have been reporting to police on daily basis, which activists say, is unlawful and amounts to a violation of their human rights.
Speaking at a media briefing held at TANGO on Monday to denounce the treatment that was meted out and continue to be to the 15 Gambian nationals, Salieu Taal, a legal luminary and a human rights lawyer, did not only express his willingness to represent the accused in any competent court of law but that their continued reporting to the police is unacceptable.
“Look at them… They are all Gambians and very peaceful. I have no reason to believe that these people can jeopardise the peace and tranquility of the country, considering their composition,” he emphasised.
He added: “These people got their rights violated when they were told they can only get a permit to demonstrate only after 72 hours of application for permit. There is no law here that says you can get a permit to protest only after 72 hours of applying for it. I am here to give them solidarity and I’m willing to give them legal support if the need arises.”
Also addressing the press, Mr Baboucarr Nyang of The Gambia We Want group, laments that The Gambia is sliding back into the dark days of human rights violations and abuses. He pointed out that his group will join forces with like-minded persons and groups to build on the country’s democratic gains.
“We want to say never again to impunity,illegal arrests ,detention and other forms of human rights violations,” emphasised. He accused the government of double standards.
Isatou Sisokho of Three Years Jotna maintained that the raison de’tre of the May 10 assembly was to try to heap pressure on the country’s coalition partners to abandon their attempt of amending the coalition agreement.
