Human rights defender Madi Jobarteh charged after being provisionally released
On 9 November 2023, human rights defender Madi Jobarteh was formally charged with “seditious intention, incitement to violence, and false publication and broadcasting”. He had been provisionally released on a D100,000 bail bond on 11 October 2023 while on a hospital bed with an illness. He was asked to report to the police headquarters two weeks later, October 26.
On 9 October 2023, human rights defender Madi Jobarteh was arrested by the Gambia Police Force (GPF) and placed in judicial custody at the Jabang anti-crime facility. He has been repeatedly targeted in reprisal for his peaceful campaign in support of accountability and respect of democratic laws within the government.
Madi Jobarteh is a human rights defender working to promote democracy, justice, good governance and human rights in The Gambia. He is the former executive director of the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations in The Gambia (TANGO), as well as a member of the Foundation for Legal Aid Research and Empowerment (FLARE). The human rights defender is currently serving as the country representative for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
On 9 November 2023, human rights defender Madi Jobarteh was formally charged with “seditious intention, incitement to violence, and false publication and broadcasting”. He had been provisionally released on a D100,000 bail bond on 11 October 2023 while on a hospital bed with an illness. He was asked to report to the police headquarters two weeks later, October 26.
Madi Jobarteh is a human rights defender working to promote democracy, justice, good governance and human rights in The Gambia. He is the former deputy executive director of the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations in The Gambia (TANGO), as well as a member of the Foundation for Legal Aid Research and Empowerment (FLARE). The human rights defender is currently serving as the country director for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
On 26 October 2023, Madi Jobarteh went to the police headquarters to report as part of his bail condition only to be told to report back in two weeks on 9 November. During his arrest on 9 October 2023, the Gambia Police Force (GPF) seized Madi Jobarteh’s phone together with his daughter’s without a warrant and have still not returned them. Rather the police requested that he unlocks his phone so they could have access to it as they claim they needed the phone for their investigations. He refused to comply. Madi was formally charged on 9 November 2023 when he reported at the police headquarters the second time as required by his bail conditions. He was charged with three counts: “seditious intention, incitement to violence, false publication and broadcasting” under the Gambian Criminal Code.
Madi Jobarteh was arrested on 9 October 2023 by the Gambia Police Force (GPF) and placed in judicial custody at the Jabang anti-crime facility after being repeatedly targeted in reprisal for his peaceful campaign in support of accountability and respect of democratic laws within the government.
Front Line Defenders condemns the ongoing persecution of human rights defender Madi Jobarteh and expresses its concern at the charges brought against him. Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Gambia to immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against him as it is believed that these are solely motivated by his legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights.
Front Line Defenders also reminds the relevant authorities that under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any media and regardless of frontiers.
On 9 October 2023, human rights defender Madi Jobarteh was arrested by the Gambia Police Force (GPF) and placed in judicial custody at the Jabang anti-crime facility. He has been repeatedly targeted in reprisal for his peaceful campaign in support of accountability and respect of democratic laws within the government.
Madi Jobarteh is a human rights defender working to promote democracy, justice, good governance and human rights in The Gambia. He is the former executive director of the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations in The Gambia (TANGO), as well as a member of the Foundation for Legal Aid Research and Empowerment (FLARE). The human rights defender is currently serving as the country representative for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
On 9 October 2023, human rights defender Madi Jobarteh was arrested by the Gambia Police Force (GPF) and placed in judicial custody at the Jabang anti-crime facility. He has been repeatedly targeted in reprisal/as punishment for his peaceful campaign in support of accountability and respect for democratic laws within the government.
On 6 October 2023, four officers from the State Intelligence Unit (SIU) and Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) went to the house of the human rights defender to question him on several posts he had allegedly published on Facebook, related to the promotion of democracy. However, as Madi Jobarteh was sick and given that he had not breached the law, the human right defender refused the officers’ request of to accompany them to the police station. In the days following this, he was subjected to surveillance and acts of intimidation by police. These violations against the human rights defender seek to undermine and hinder the exercise of his right to defend human rights.
Madi Jobarteh has previously been targeted due to his human rights work. On 30 June 2020, the human rights defender was charged with "false information and broadcasting” after giving an interview to a media outlet during a Black Lives Matter demonstration which he had organised on 27 June 2020, in which he criticised the government. The charges brought against him were subsequently dropped on 14 July 2020.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned by the recent episodes of intimidation, harassment, surveillance and the alleged arrest and detention of human rights defender Madi Jobarteh. It strongly believes that the arrest of Madi Jobarteh is due to his legitimate and peaceful human rights work.
