Africa-Press – Gambia. The Patriotic Alliance for System Transformation and Emancipation through Functionalism (PASTEF) Tuesday appealed to President Adama Barrow to grant presidential pardon to the detained youths.
The movement has urged President Barrow to exercise his constitutional prerogative of mercy in the case of youths detained following protests against the floor price policy on mobile data introduced by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).
In an open letter addressed to the President of The Gambia, His Excellency Adama Barrow, PASTEF expressed “deep respect and a hopeful heart,” urging him to intervene in what it described as the “peaceful opposition” of young Gambians who acted out of a sense of duty to defend consumer rights and economic justice.
“Mr. President, under your leadership, The Gambia has made commendable strides in human rights and democratic maturity,” the letter noted, adding that the government has distinguished itself from past administrations through respect for nonviolence, free speech, and the rule of law.
The movement expressed concern over what it called the heavy-handed police response to the protests, warning that the arrests risk undermining the human rights record the government has sought to build. “These young men and women are not enemies of the state; they are citizens who celebrated your rise to power and stood firm for democratic change when it mattered most,” the statement read.
PASTEF called on the President to use his constitutional powers to strike out the case and order the unconditional release of the detainees. It argued that such an act would reflect compassion, promote healing and reconciliation, and reaffirm the administration’s commitment to dialogue and listening to the voices of youth.
“Let history record that in a moment of division, the President chose unity. That in a time of unrest, the President chose understanding. That in the face of dissent, the President chose dialogue over punishment,” PASTEF stated.
The movement concluded by expressing confidence in President Barrow’s “sense of justice and abiding love for the Gambian people.”
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