Abdoulie G. Dibba
Today, 26 November 2015, marks 25 days of incommunicado detention of Imam Cherno Gassama of Dasilami Mosque Lower Fulladou West District, Central River Region of Gambia; according to a family source.
The family source told this reporter that they are not informed or aware of the reason for the arrest and subsequent detention of their loved one even though they have made several attempts to access him but to no avail.
Imam Gassama’s family is however calling on the authorities to allow them access and to release him.
It was earlier reported that Imam Gassama was arrested on Monday, 2 November, 2015 at his residence in Dasilami by an operative of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and a police officer from the Brikamaba police station.
On arrival at the police station, he was detained briefly before finally transferred to Janjanbureh Central Prison on the same day.
The Imam’s detention beyond 72 hours is in violation of Section 19 Subsection (3)(b) of the constitution of the second republic which states that “Any person who is arrested or detained… who is not released, shall be brought without undue delay before a court and, in any event, within seventy-two hours”.
