The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) has issued a scathing public condemnation of the ongoing harassment and persecution of 23 youths charged following a protest against the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), as their trial faces yet another adjournment without progress.
In a statement released today, EFSCRJ highlighted the case’s second postponement—this time to December 8, 2025—without a single court sitting, labeling it a “disturbing pattern of judicial delay” that constitutes harassment rather than justice. “This marks the second adjournment without a single sitting, reflecting a disturbing pattern of judicial delay that amounts to harassment and persecution rather than the pursuit of justice,” the group declared.
The youths, dubbed the “PURA 23,” were arrested after demonstrating for greater transparency and accountability from PURA, which they accuse of inefficiency, incompetence, and corruption in managing essential public services, such as electricity and water. EFSCRJ insists the protesters committed no crime, acting instead as responsible citizens exercising constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and demanding institutional reform.
“The right to peaceful assembly and to demand accountability from public institutions is guaranteed under the Constitution of The Gambia and international human rights law ratified by the Gambia,” the statement read. It warned against weaponizing police and courts to suppress dissent, calling the indefinite trial an “abuse of the law” to silence civic engagement.
Emphasizing the human cost, EFSCRJ noted the defendants’ responsibilities as family providers, describing the prolonged process as economically and psychologically devastating. “Justice delayed in this case is justice denied,” it asserted.
The rights organization demanded immediate action: either a swift, fair prosecution or the unconditional dropping of all charges. It urged the judiciary to reject any role in “political persecution or administrative intimidation.”
EFSCRJ also appealed to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to intervene, reminding the government of its duty to uphold due process and prevent abuse by state institutions under national and international law.
Warning of broader implications, the group stated that such persecution “sets a dangerous precedent for democracy and accountability in The Gambia.” Referencing the nation’s post-dictatorship struggles, it vowed: “We came from a long distance and a tough place, and we must not accept sliding back to where we came. Never Again!”
