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Let Dr. Janneh And Others Go
Tuesday, 14 June 2011 23:45
By PK JarjuMr President, I wish to join my fellow countrymen and friends of the Gambia in demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Dr Amadou Scattered Janneh and other members of Coalition for Change-the Gambia.
According to news media reports, Dr Janneh, a former Information secretary of state in your government together with some Gambians were on June 7th arrested by state security agents and are currently being held at various unknown detention centres in the country.
Since their arrest over a week ago, both Dr Janneh and his associates are yet to be charged with any criminal offence (s) or allowed access to their families and legal representatives.
Mr President, this is a serious violation of the rights and freedoms of Dr Janneh and his colleagues which are clearly guaranteed in the 1997 Constitution of the Gambia. And it is worth reminding you that as president of the Gambia, you have on many occasions sworn by the Qur’an to uphold and defend that very same constitution at all time without fear or favour, affection or ill will.
Section 19 (1) of the Gambian constitution states that: “Every person shall have the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary, arrest or detention...”
It further states in Section 19 (2) that “Any person who is arrested or detained shall be informed as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any case within three hours, in a language that he or she can understands, of the reasons for his or her arrest or detention and of his or her right to consult a legal practitioner.
Further protecting the rights and liberties of people, the constitution states in Section 19 (3) that any person who is arrested or detained-
(a) for the purpose of bringing him or her before a court in execution of the order of a court, or
(b) upon reasonable suspicion of his or her having committed, or being about to commit, a criminal offence under the Laws of the Gambia, and who is not released, shall be brought without undue delay before a court and, in any event, within seventy-two hours.
Mr President, the continuous detention of Dr Janneh and his associates incommunicado in violation of the constitutional provisions is a cause for concern. Even though the Gambian constitution is neither a Bible nor Qur’an, it should be treated with maximum respect like the Bible and Qur’an as it established precedents according to which our great country is acknowledged to be governed. And you should have known better as leader of 21st Century Gambia.
Mr President, as civilised sons of the Gambia, Dr Janneh and his colleagues have got every right to freely associate themselves with any democratic movement in the country. And having him arrested and detained well beyond the legal 72 hours is completely out of order. And I hereby call for their immediate and unconditional release from detention.
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