The state should not take a piece meal approach in putting an end to impunity by detaining sovereign Gambian citizens for more than 72 hours without charge or trial. It should release all those people who are unlawfully detained and compensate them for the unlawful act. It should not wait for lengthy court proceedings to acknowledge what everyone knows. Foroyaa like all newspapers is constitutionally mandated to hold the government accountable to the public and expose it whenever it violates the constitutional rights of the citizens. Let us take this opportunity to restate again the cases of those who are detained within the time frame when Momodou Sowe was detained so that the state would take a fresh look at its conduct and determine for itself whether this is the way it ought to treat its own citizens. A government which respects it citizens will never violates their rights with impunity. It will protect their rights without any form of discrimination. The following are still under detention without trial: Bai Jobe Njie, Meta Njie, Yusupha Lowe (13 years old), Pa Alieu Lowe (19 years old), Jariatou Lowe, Essa Bojang, Fatou Sonko, Omar Malleh Jagne, Mr Ambu Drammeh (a mentally ill young man), Mambury Njie (a former Minister), Seedy Jaiteh and Lieutenant Colonel Solo Bojang. If agents of the government are not ordered to act citizens should turn to the courts for protection and redress and judge their independence and impartiality based on their conduct. ]]>
