Gambia: Championing human rights and justice for all must be a priority

In response to announcement that President Yayah Jammeh has accepted his defeat following the presidential election, Sabrina Mahtani, Amnesty International’s Researcher for West and Central Africa currently in Gambia said:

“For many years the people of Gambia have suffered numerous abuses, including horrific human rights violations and oppression.”

There is a huge obligation now for the future administration to transform the human rights situation in Gambia

Sabrina Mahtani, Amnesty International West Africa researcher

“The last two weeks have shown how much Gambians of all parties value free speech. There is a huge obligation now for the future administration to transform the human rights situation in Gambia, freeing political prisoners, removing repressive laws and entrenching newly found freedoms.”

Background

Today the President of the Electoral Commission announced that opposition candidate Adama Barrow (Coalition 2016) has won yesterday’s election by more than 50,000 votes. President Yahya Jammeh (APRC – Alliance for Patriotic Reconstruction and Construction), has accepted his defeat.