“3 Years Jotna” Protesters “Pardoned”

The government spokesperson, Ebrima Sankareh, has announced today on West Radio’s “Coffee Time with Peter Gomez” that the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dawda Jallow, has decided to put a halt on the criminal proceedings against the “3 Years Jotna” supporters charged with various offenses under the criminal code.

“In respect of activities arising from the incident of January 2020, commonly known as the “3 Years Jotna“; Ebrima Sankareh said it is a “humanitarian gesture towards promoting peace and reconciliation among all stakeholders in the political sphere as this year is presidential elections approaches.”

Mr. Sankareh added that the Minister of Justice has no obligation to state the reason for this action.

The “3 years Jotna” leaders Abdou Njie, Ebraima Kitim Jarju, Sheriffo Sonko, Hagi Suwaneh, Fanta Mballow, Karim Touray, Yankuba Darboe, and Muctarr Ceesay were arrested on the 26th January 2020, following a peaceful protest that later turned violent. The protesters demanded President Adama Barrow to honor his campaign promise to step down after serving only for three years.

On the charge of “unlawful assembly,” the accused persons are alleged to have “jointly and unlawfully taken part in an illegal assembly on the 26th January 2020”.

On the second charge, about rioters demolishing buildings, the accused persons are alleged to “have assembled and unlawfully destroyed the Gambia Technical Training Institute students’ waiting shed by setting it on fire.”