We therefore call on the President to remind himself of his oath of office to perform his duty without fear or favour; affection or ill will according to the constitution and laws of the Gambia. The constitution is not silent on what should happen if one is arrested. First and foremost, no one should be arrested unless one is suspected of committing a crime. Once arrested one must be charged and taken before a court within 72 hours or be released without condition or on bail. During his interview, the president did say that he is not stopping Gambians in the Diaspora from coming home. He gave the impression that he was opening up a new page in his government’s relation with critics abroad. The best way to show magnanimity and prove that more is to come is to order the release of all those who are detained just because of their family ties with insurgents. As Women prepare to commemorate International Women’s day we hope the women Federation and women leaders would make representation to end the plight of women who are in detention without trial.]]>
