PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Rights group calls on Gambians to stand up for change
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - A rights group, the Coalition for Change Gambia (CCG), has called on Gambians at home and abroad to ponder the severity of the charges against four activists as an issue that affects their inalienable right to hold and express dissenting political views.
“It is ridiculous that membership of an organization with dissenting views and the innocuous display of political statements count as treasonable felony in The Gambia. We think this is the last straw and Gambians must stand up to any dictatorship that denies us the right to dare to think differently,” said a press release issued by CCG.
The statement was signed by Campaign for Human Rights (CHRG), The Gambia; CHRG, Scotland; Save The Gambia Democracy Project (STGDP), US; Coalition for Human Rights The Gambia, (UK); Movement for Restoration of Democracy Gambia, US; Human Rights for All (HUMRA), Sweden and the United Gambia for Democracy and Freedom.
“We must stand up to a dictatorship that has desecrated our constitution by making amendments that expunged the constitution of the presidential term limits and thereby undermine our democracy. We must stand up to the dictatorship and demand justice for the disappeared, incarcerated and the murdered. These are legitimate political demands,” CCG stated in the press release obtained by PANA Thursday.
Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, former communications minister, Michael C. Ucheh Thomas, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow were arrested 7 June and charged with sedition and treason for the distribution of t-shirts bearing CCG’s logo and a footnote: “End to Dictatorship, NOW”.
The four suspects were arraigned before Principal Magistrate Alagbe Taiwo Ade of the Banjul Magistrate Court on Monday, 13 June, who subsequently transferred the case to High Court.
“It is disheartening that the mere distribution of ashobi, T-shirts can now be criminalized, especially in a society where the practice of wearing T-shirts and other garbs bearing political statements is an entrenched social practice. We decry and challenge the legitimacy of the charges of “treason and sedition as high handed and absurd," the release said.
The release pointed out that intolerance and aversion to dissenting democratic voices were self-evident and the state’s discomfort and paranoia had resulted in an unwillingness to expand the space for divergent views and a relentless pursuit of citizens who dare to think and act in manners that challenge the state’s narrow and tyrannical worldview.
It described as unprofessional that the police and other security personnel would deny having Janneh in their custody even after holding him beyond the constitutionally stipulated 72-hour time limit.
The release alleged that Janneh’s legal defence team was not informed of the state’s intent but instead, whisked him to court on Monday, adding that since his arrest 7 June, the defence team assigned to the case had visited every police station and detention centre within the Greater Banjul Area in an effort to locate Janneh and his co-defendants to no avail.
“We jointly condemn the state prosecution team for denying Dr. Janneh's counsel and we stand firmly behind Janneh, who is a citizen of outstanding character and good moral judgement."
-0- PANA MSS/BOS 16June2011
“It is ridiculous that membership of an organization with dissenting views and the innocuous display of political statements count as treasonable felony in The Gambia. We think this is the last straw and Gambians must stand up to any dictatorship that denies us the right to dare to think differently,” said a press release issued by CCG.
The statement was signed by Campaign for Human Rights (CHRG), The Gambia; CHRG, Scotland; Save The Gambia Democracy Project (STGDP), US; Coalition for Human Rights The Gambia, (UK); Movement for Restoration of Democracy Gambia, US; Human Rights for All (HUMRA), Sweden and the United Gambia for Democracy and Freedom.
“We must stand up to a dictatorship that has desecrated our constitution by making amendments that expunged the constitution of the presidential term limits and thereby undermine our democracy. We must stand up to the dictatorship and demand justice for the disappeared, incarcerated and the murdered. These are legitimate political demands,” CCG stated in the press release obtained by PANA Thursday.
Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, former communications minister, Michael C. Ucheh Thomas, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow were arrested 7 June and charged with sedition and treason for the distribution of t-shirts bearing CCG’s logo and a footnote: “End to Dictatorship, NOW”.
The four suspects were arraigned before Principal Magistrate Alagbe Taiwo Ade of the Banjul Magistrate Court on Monday, 13 June, who subsequently transferred the case to High Court.
“It is disheartening that the mere distribution of ashobi, T-shirts can now be criminalized, especially in a society where the practice of wearing T-shirts and other garbs bearing political statements is an entrenched social practice. We decry and challenge the legitimacy of the charges of “treason and sedition as high handed and absurd," the release said.
The release pointed out that intolerance and aversion to dissenting democratic voices were self-evident and the state’s discomfort and paranoia had resulted in an unwillingness to expand the space for divergent views and a relentless pursuit of citizens who dare to think and act in manners that challenge the state’s narrow and tyrannical worldview.
It described as unprofessional that the police and other security personnel would deny having Janneh in their custody even after holding him beyond the constitutionally stipulated 72-hour time limit.
The release alleged that Janneh’s legal defence team was not informed of the state’s intent but instead, whisked him to court on Monday, adding that since his arrest 7 June, the defence team assigned to the case had visited every police station and detention centre within the Greater Banjul Area in an effort to locate Janneh and his co-defendants to no avail.
“We jointly condemn the state prosecution team for denying Dr. Janneh's counsel and we stand firmly behind Janneh, who is a citizen of outstanding character and good moral judgement."
-0- PANA MSS/BOS 16June2011
