Activist Madi Jobarteh has been alerted by the police that his case has been sent to the Ministry of Justice for legal guidance. He will get notification from them as soon as they receive a response.
Earlier this month, Jobarteh was accused of inciting violence, having seditious intent, and publishing and disseminating false information. Since then, he has called the accusations “politically motivated.”
Shortly after leaving the police, Madi Jobarteh confirmed the story, writing, “I just left the police headquarters after reporting on bail once again this morning.” According to the police, the Attorney General’s office has been consulted over my case. I was told not to come in again until the file was returned and advise was given. However, my prior bail requirements still stand. The cops continued to grab my phones.
Speaking to The Standard about the developments from his base in the US, activist Pa Samba Jow stated: “There can only be two reasons for the allegations against Mr. Jobarteh: the Barrow administration’s concerted efforts to silence him and, therefore, any Gambians who dare to voice criticism of the government. I firmly believe that the accusations are being made for political purposes.
The administration, he said, is not interested in justice since Madi Jobarteh would be the last to face “this obnoxious charge of sedition,” if it were.
We would live in the most democratic nation ever if all Gambian citizens, including the government, respected the constitution as much as Madi Jobarteh does. He is one of the most compliant citizens with the law. The president cannot be in two places at once. He can’t be upset when Gambians accuse him of being a dictator, as his administration still uses Jammeh-style methods to target opponents by using offensive and anti-democracy legislation like sedition. He remarked, “The way Madi is being treated is a classic case of abuse and a black eye to the democracy we are trying to nurture.”
Jow continued, saying that “today is Madi, just like it was Dr Ceesay before him and many others,” and that “every true Gambian should be concerned.”
We are headed down a very steep slope with this tendency, one that might eventually make rights abuses the norm. For these reasons, I urge the Attorney General and his Ministry to take the necessary action in the sake of justice, democracy, and the rule of law, and to apologise for bringing such baseless accusations against Madi. He said, “Democracy has to be given a chance to develop and the bullying needs to cease.
Prominent Gambian pro-democracy activist Jeggan Grey-Johnson also chimed in, stating that it seems like Barrow’s political ethos has now been ingrained with the Yahya Jammeh syndrome, which is an allergic response to the truth and unbiased criticism.
Rather than emphasizing changes, which are seldom discussed these days, he and his group are determined to continue operating with impunity. Madi is suffering because of his opinions. Furthermore, it is a dictatorship’s playbook for using fear and weaponization of the state to engender weakness and quiet in response to acts taken, allowing them to continue misruling without opposition. But Barrow is not the only issue facing the Gambia. It’s our political trajectory’s general dearth of involved, devoted, and moral leadership. It’s not about Madi here. It’s about us all, he said in closing.