Offenburg Incident: Gambia Refugees Association Frowns at German Police, Calls on Gambia Gov’t to React

By: Bakary Ceesay, in Germany

The Gambia Refugees Association Europe Branch has issued a statement expressing its ‘utter’ dismay at the way and manner a Gambian refugee was manhandled by German police in Offenburg last week.

A statement signed by the secretary general of the Gambia Refugees Association Europe Branch Kalifa Suwareh said: “The said victim was seen in a video that was reported in the German media and made viral on social media, where he was wrestled on the ground while he was naked and seriously manhandled. This inhumane action of the police reminds us of the George Floyd case, which happened two years ago in the USA.

“The Gambian refugee is suffering from mental illness and needs psychological support instead of being subjected to maltreatment, harassment, and discrimination as evident in the video.

“The Gambia Refugees Association condemns the police action on him in the strongest terms and calls on the Gambia Government to react to this inhumane treatment against its citizen.

“Additionally, we also call on the Gambia government to ensure that Germany reprimands the concerned police officers who subjected our citizen to such inhumane treatment.”

Meanwhile, the public prosecutor’s office in Baden-Württemberg has issued a statement, promising a probe in the case.

In a statement it said: “whether the actions of the officers in the context of the arrest constitute an initial suspicion of a criminal offence. it must be clarified in advance whether the arrested man had been injured or physically impaired by the actions of the officers. It will then have to be examined whether the acts are covered by the right of arrest.”