The Edward Francis Small Center for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) has condemned the prosecution of three young Gambian activists—Alieu Bah, Omar Camara, and Kemo Fatty—who face charges at the Kanifing Magistrates Court today for holding a press conference and denouncing the unconstitutional removal of Auditor General Momodou Ceesay, who was forcibly evicted from his office on September 15 by Gambia Police Force officers. The EFSCRJ calls their arrest a blatant violation of constitutional rights and a slide toward dictatorship.
In a fiery public statement, the EFSCRJ declared unwavering support for the youths, asserting they were exercising their constitutional freedoms of expression and assembly, as guaranteed under Sections 25, 26, and 220 of The Gambia’s 1997 Constitution. The center labeled the legal action as persecution, not prosecution, arguing that the activists committed no crime and posed no threat to public order. “It is a travesty of justice that young citizens who seek to uphold the Constitution are punished, while those who violate it are shielded,” the statement read.
The EFSCRJ highlighted the irony of the government’s actions, noting that the state’s “Never Again” slogan—adopted after the 2016 rejection of authoritarian rule—promised to end arbitrary arrests and the weaponization of institutions. Prosecuting these youths, the center argues, betrays that commitment and signals a dangerous erosion of democratic values.
The center issued three demands: the immediate dismissal of all charges against Bah, Camara, and Fatty; a call for the President and government to uphold their constitutional oaths; and a plea to the National Assembly, civil society, and citizens to defend democracy and human rights. “The Gambia belongs to all of us, and no authority has the right to criminalize our constitutional freedoms,” the EFSCRJ stated.
Meanwhile, after the case, which should resume on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, has been adjourned without any reason until November 10.
“ We went to court this afternoon. Exactly at 1:00 p.m., all of us were there waiting for the magistrate. A few minutes after 1:00 p.m., the court clerk informed us that our case had been adjourned to November 10, 2025,” Omar Camara, one of the accused persons and GALA Spokesman, said in a brief statement after the adjournment.
