The Edward Francis Small Center for Rights and Justice stands in full solidarity with the three young citizens – Alieu Bah, Omar Camara, and Kemo Fatty – who are being dragged before the Kanifing Magistrates Court this afternoon merely for exercising their constitutional rights. Their only “offence” was holding a press conference to denounce the unconstitutional removal of Auditor General Momodou Ceesay and his forceful eviction from office on September 15 by officers of the Gambia Police Force.
The actions of these youths are a legitimate expression of citizenship, conscience, and constitutional duty as enshrined under Sections 25, 26, and 220 of the Constitution of The Gambia (1997), which guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and the defence of the Constitution. They have broken no law, committed no crime, and posed no threat to public order. Their arrest, detention, and prosecution are therefore unlawful and constitute not prosecution but persecution.
It is a travesty of justice that young citizens who seek to uphold the Constitution are punished, while those who violate it are shielded and protected. This represents a dangerous slide toward lawlessness and dictatorship, the very system Gambians rejected in 2016.
The government must be reminded that it was the State itself that coined the phrase “Never Again” to ensure Gambians would never again endure arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention, and the weaponization of laws and institutions against the people. To prosecute these youths for performing their civic duty is a betrayal of that promise.
EFSCRJ therefore:
- Demands the immediate and unconditional dropping of all charges against Alieu Bah, Omar Camara, and Kemo Fatty.
- Calls on the President and his Government to honour their oath of office and uphold the Constitution in both letter and spirit.
- Urges the National Assembly, civil society, and the general public to stand firm in defence of the rule of law, democracy, and human rights in The Gambia.
The Gambia belongs to all of us, and no government or authority has the right to criminalize the exercise of our constitutional freedoms.
StandWithTheYouth
DefendTheConstitution
NeverAgain
2025 – The Year of Transparency and Accountability
