The unlawful arrest of the Six Executive Members of GALA by The Gambia Police Force is unacceptable.
In a democracy, the right to organize, to assemble, and to speak is not a favor from the state. It is a guarantee under Section 25 of our Constitution. When citizens who are not violent, not armed, and not breaking any law are taken from their homes or offices, we are no longer practicing democracy. We are practicing fear.
I have spoken to some other executives members of GALA and from what I have seen on social media the Police have not shown clear, legal grounds for these arrests. That is not law enforcement. That is intimidation.
I am calling for three things, immediately:
• The Inspector General of The Gambia Police Force must release the GALA Executives members that are arrested without condition if no chargeable offense has been committed, or present them before a competent court within 72 hours as required by law.
• The National Assembly’s Human Rights Committee must summon the IGP to explain these arrests. Parliament cannot be silent when rights are violated.
• The Ministry of Interior must remind all officers that The Gambia turned the page on arbitrary detention in 2016. We will not go back.
To the youth of Banjul North and across The Gambia: Your voice matters. Your right to organize matters. And as your representative, I will use every tool of oversight to defend those rights.
To the Police: Your duty is to protect, not to persecute. The badge is a symbol of law, not a license to break it.
I am monitoring this situation closely and will raise it on the floor of the National Assembly if justice is not done.
The Gambia is a country of law. Let us act like it.
Hon. Modou Lamin Biram Bah
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