By Alhagie Jobe
Samantha Power, The United States Ambassador to the United Nations Tuesday met Janko Jawara, the husband of jailed US citizen of Gambian native, Fanta Jawara currently serving a three years jail term in The Gambia and renewed calls for her immediate release.
In a message posted on her twitter account shortly after meeting her husband Ebrima Jawara, Ambassador Power insisted that The Gambia must free Fanta saying even the judge said she wasn’t involved.
She tweeted “Met w/Fanta Jawara’s husband @janko1992 today. Gambia must #FreeFanta – even judge said she wasn’t involved”.
As stated by the US diplomat, the Nigerian judge at the Special Criminal Court Justice Eunice Dada during her judgment in July said Fanta Jawara is convicted ‘because she refused to defend herself although there is no evidence against her’.
“Fanta Darboe as a nurse could have defended herself and refused therefore I do not believe her. Fanta Jawara is convicted because she refused to defend although no evidence against her. The accused refused to participate therefore, it’s my view that they have no basis to participate and they will not be allowed to speak on the issue of sentencing” Justice Dada said in convicting Fanta Jawara.
Fanta Jawara of Frederick, Maryland, a wife and mother of two daughters ages 12 and 17, arrived in The Gambia to visit her family. She was arrested on April 16th along with Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and others and charged with seven counts of unlawful assembly, riot, incitement of violence, riotously interfering with traffic, holding a procession without a license, disobeying an order to disperse from an unlawful procession and conspiracy.
