The inspector general of police on Friday 10 June 2020, has dropped all charges against the human rights activist Madi Jobarteh, with immediate effect.

“I am happy to announce that as Inspector General of Police of The Gambia Police Force, we are dropping all charges against Mr. Madi Jobarteh as from today. No other action will be taken against him as far as this case is concerned,” said the IGP.

Madi was charged for false publication and broadcasting in an interview he had with the media during the ‘black lives matter’ protest last month.

The human rights activist alleged that, the government has brushed aside the brutal involvement of the police force in the killing of Ousman Darboe, Haruna Jammeh and one Kebba Secka (a student from the university of The Gambia) respectively.

Madi’s arrest has sparked momentum both in The Gambia and the diaspora, demanding for his immediate release as many believe that he was exercising his right to freedom of speech and expression.
Since his arrest, Jobarteh had constantly been reporting to different police stations.

Despite Madi being relieved of all charges, he took to  Facebook a few hours ago saying;   ‘dropping the so-called charges is not the issue, the real issue is the blatant abuse of power and the deliberate destruction of fundamental constitutional rights and the arbitrary violation of the constitution by the IGP to think that he can arrest and detain any citizen as he likes and they slam them with bogus charges and then send them to prison just like that.’

‘if this was the Yahya Jammeh days everyone would have been asking where is MADI jobarteh? I would have been first tortured and then killed and then disappeared like many before me,’ he added.

This devlopement came afer a heavy discussion the Gambia Police Force had with the National Human Rights Commssion (NHRC), The Gambia Bar Association and The Association of Non Governmental Organisation (TANGO).

By: Sohna Tunkara

For Kairaba News Network