Citizens’ Alliance party has called on the State to ‘unconditionally release’ leaders of Three Years Jotna who were re-arrested on Wednesday after the High Court has discharged them of their charges.
The CA statement read “The Citizens’ Alliance is gravely concerned and expresses with the way the State is handling the case involving the 3 Years Jotna leaders who were arrested and charged for peacefully protesting in December 2020. A competent court discharged the accused persons after the State Prosecutions withdrawal of the case. It was shocking to learn that the 3YJ leaders were re-arrested again by the police immediately after leaving the courtroom to be charged afresh. CA strongly condemns this egregious violation of the rights of the 3YJ leaders.
“At a time when Gambians are struggling to come to terms with a dark past, this single act is a setback for our democracy with the potential to derail the successes registered by the judicial arm of government and a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do as a nation in so far as the promotion of the rule of law and consolidating our democracy is concerned.”
Therefore, “CA demands the unconditional release of these victims of injustice without being subjected to any further ludicrous charges that would undermine the integrity of our judicial system. This act of injustice against a few Gambians is considered by us as injustice against every Gambian,” CA said.