Gambia opposition leader gets 3-year jail sentence
Protests were held in Banjul after an opposition politician was allegedly killed in custody in April. AFP PHOTO
Opposition leader Ousainou Darboe was sentenced to three years in jail on Wednesday in the Gambia for organising a rare demonstration protesting against the death in custody of a party member.
Darboe is head of the United Democratic Party (UDP) in the tiny west African country, which has been run with an iron fist by President Yahya Jammeh since 1994.
The human rights lawyer had organised a march to demand answers after UDP official Solo Sandeng died of shock and respiratory failure after being arrested during a separate peaceful protest.
Jammeh recently told UN chief Ban Ki-moon and rights group Amnesty International to "go to hell" for urging an inquiry into Sandeng's death.
A Banjul High Court judge jailed Darboe along with 17 other supporters for six offences relating to the April 16 protest. They were all acquitted of another charge of incitement to violence and one other defendant, Yahya Bah, was acquitted of all charges.
Family members and supporters wept after the judgement was handed down. The 18 will serve their sentence in the country's notorious Mile Two Prison.
Charges included holding a procession without permit, rioting and disobeying orders to disperse. All the defendants had pleaded not guilty and have the option to appeal the sentences.
Amnesty said those convicted should never have been arrested and called for their immediate release.
"The Gambian authorities should take urgent action to ensure people are able to express themselves without fear of reprisals, and if they do not the international community should not stand by and watch," said Stephen Cockburn, Deputy Regional Director for Amnesty International in West and Central Africa.
Cockburn added that the convictions sent a negative signal five months ahead of presidential elections widely expected to return Jammeh to power for a fifth term.
Fanta Darboe Jawara, a 45-year-old naturalised US citizen from Frederick, Maryland, was among those convicted, according to Amnesty.
Her family had previously told US media she was not involved in the protest and was simply waiting for a taxi when she was arrested and beaten by police.
US officials say they are aware that Jawara has family connections with the Gambian opposition, but have not commented in detail on the case.
