Africa-Press – Gambia. The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) has urged the government to launch urgent investigations into alleged police misconduct during a recent protest against the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority’s (PURA) data price floor.
In a letter dated September 1st and addressed to the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Chambers, the Gambia Police Force, the Office of National Security, and the National Human Rights Commission, the rights group expressed concern over what it described as serious human rights violations.
EFSCRJ reminded the institutions of their duty to ensure that public bodies respect human rights and uphold the rule of law.
According to the group, what began as a lawful and peaceful demonstration outside PURA’s offices escalated into arbitrary arrests, torture, and other inhumane treatment, including of women and minors.
“In total, 45 people were arrested, subjected to degrading treatment, and detained under unacceptable conditions. Tear gas was recklessly deployed even within the precincts of the Kanifing Magistrates Court, violating both national and international standards on policing,” EFSCRJ noted. The organization highlighted several areas of concern, including:
• The unlawful dispersal of a peaceful assembly that required no police permit under the Public Order Act.
• Arbitrary and disproportionate use of force, including the arrest of uninvolved bystanders.
• Inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees, including torture, overcrowded and unhygienic cell conditions, and unlawful detention of minors with adults, and women with men.
• The cutting of dreadlocks of activist Ali Cham (Killa Ace) in Mile 2 Prison, a degrading act with no basis in law.
• Indiscriminate use of tear gas, which constitutes torture under international law.EFSCRJ stressed that these actions amount to violations of the 1997 Constitution, the Public Order Act, international treaties ratified by The Gambia, and the Gambia Police Force’s own Code of Conduct.
The group called for:
1. An independent and impartial investigation into all violations committed by police officers, with perpetrators held accountable and victims accorded justice.
2. The Inspector General of Police to issue a clear directive confirming that stationary public assemblies without processions or loudspeakers do not require permits.
3. The issuance of a transparent notification system for assemblies to guarantee police presence for protection rather than suppression.
4. An end to police practices that shield public institutions from accountability by denying citizens their constitutional right to peaceful assembly.EFSCRJ emphasized that The Gambia’s democratic gains risk being undermined if the police continue to act as an obstacle rather than a guarantor of rights.
“In the interest of justice, accountability, and human rights, we call on the government to act swiftly,” the group urged.
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