When being detained and freed a month ago, activist Madi Jobarteh was charged Monday with seditious intent, inciting violence, and false publishing and broadcasting when he went to the police.

Following his initial release on a D100,000 bail bond provided by a single Gambian surety, the national representative for the Westminster Foundation has been reporting to the Police Headquarters.
Shortly after leaving the police station, Madi Jobarteh spoke with The Standard and said, “I’ve been charged by the police on three counts: seditious intention, incitement to violence, false broadcasting, and information.” I now have an extended bail date of November 23. They have refused to provide my phone to me.

He added that in his warning statement, he refuted the accusations.

“I think these accusations are absurd because I haven’t done any of those crimes; in my opinion, this is simply persecution. The article in question has nothing to do with violence, sedition, false information, or broadcasting in any way, he said. “As a citizen with the right guaranteed by the constitution to have an opinion and to express an opinion about my government, my president, and any other public institution,” he said.
He said that because he is one of the president’s detractors, the police are just carrying out his instructions to quiet them.

Essentially, therefore, this is political work, not police activity. I should never have been contacted or arrested by the police, and they should not have been engaged in this situation at all. It is regrettable that such an incident is occurring in our nation once again. Sedition-related charges are anti-democratic and have no place in a democratic nation, the speaker said.

According to Jobarteh, it is the responsibility of every citizen, including the president, to come and clarify or dispute any view that the government or the president disagrees with on its performance and behavior.

Therefore, in my opinion, what the police are doing is essentially resurrecting the practice of inciting fear, harassing, and intimidating the populace in order to quiet them and protect the government from criticism. This is what is meant to be understood as a dictatorship. “I believe that we ought to be extremely worried and concerned because anything that is happening to me now could happen to anyone tomorrow,” he said.

“It’s unfortunate, but we still have to understand the fact that the police have a right to call people for reasonable suspicion of having committed a crime or about to commit a crime, but this latitude does not mean that it has to be abused,” Lamin LS Camara, Madi’s attorney, said when asked about the police’s frequent invitations or mostly government critics. The police must make an effort to operate within the parameters set out by the constitution and the authority granted to them by the law. Therefore, it is inappropriate and completely unjustified to summon individuals for investigations and then wait for an eternity, as well as to seize their cell phones for around six months. However, as I said, we will address those matters in court.
The executive director of a nearby NGO, Beakanyang Kafo, Nfamara Jawneh, responded to the accusations as well, stating that it was a depressing time that may jeopardize the nation’s democracy.

“It is mind-boggling and unacceptable to see the police being used to intimidate citizens again after fighting so hard to bring democracy to this country,” he added.

The human rights campaigner, who has won several awards, said it is regrettable that police would examine people for just voicing their beliefs.

It is evident that there have been no noteworthy advancements in the security sector reform. The same individuals who served under the previous government and were willing to comply with orders are still there. This is how Yahya Jammeh got his start in nations where there is a dictatorship, like The Gambia, therefore we should be really concerned,” he said.

Jawneh pleaded with the authorities to immediately withdraw the “bogus charges” against Madi.

“We cannot be intimidated by the police and we will never be afraid to voice our opinions about the way our country is being run,” he said in closing.