The African Assembly for the Defence of Human Rights (RADDHO), Amnesty International Senegal, the Senegalese Human Rights League (LSDH), Article 19 West Africa and the International Society for Human Rights/Senegal (ISHR/Senegal) are monitoring with concern the development of the situation in Gambia following the failed coup attempt against President Yahya Jammeh during the night of Monday 29 to Tuesday 30 December 2014.
Having been informed of the arrest of several dozen civilians and members of the military, including mothers, in Gambia and others who had reportedly fled to Guinea-Bissau, our organizations, while firmly condemning this attempted coup aimed at overthrowing President Yahya Jammeh:
- Strongly recommend to the government of Guinea-Bissau not to extradite the people arrested within its borders to Gambia, where they could face the death penalty;
- Urge the Gambian authorities, government, and security and defence forces to act in full respect of human rights, in accordance with their commitments under international and regional legal instruments;
- Issue an urgent appeal to the United Nations, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the opening of a transparent and impartial inquiry into the serious and repeated human rights violations committed in Gambia over the past two decades, following successive waves of repression against journalists, human rights defenders, political campaigners and members of citizens’ movements, which have led numerous Gambian citizens to go into forced exile.
The signatory organizations
- African Assembly for the Defence of Human Rights (RADDHO)
- Amnesty International Senegal
- Senegalese Human Rights League
- Article 19 West Africa
- International Society for Human Rights/Senegal