The All People’s Party (APP) Sobeyaa alliance, led by international Gambian lawyer Essa Faal, has condemned the arrest on Monday, 17 February, of Luis Boutanos “for merely exercising his democratic right to free speech”.
The APP Sobeyaa states that Boutanos’s only crime was raising the failures of the Barrow Government, the arrest for which, the party says, has increasingly shown the government’s intolerance for dissenting voices.
“This blatant act of repression is a direct assault on democracy, designed to silence critics and intimidate citizens who dare to hold their leaders accountable. It is unacceptable, unconstitutional, and a disgrace to the principles of freedom and justice that The Gambia stands for,” the APP states in the press statement signed by Ousainou Bobb, the party’s spokesperson.
The alliance urges the authorities to fully adhere to the law and respect Mr Boutanos’s rights, saying it will not stand by and watch while the government “tramples on the rights” of the Gambian People, as every Gambian has the right to voice their concerns without fear of arrest, intimidation, or persecution.
“We call on all Gambians, civil society organisations, and the international community to take note of this dangerous trend of political suppression,” the APP appeals, saying: “The Barrow Government must stop weaponising state institutions to crush dissent. We demand respect for democracy, free speech, and the fundamental freedoms enshrined in our constitution.
“The Gambia belongs to the Gambian people, not to a fearful government trying to silence them.”
In a related development, the APP Sobeyaa recently endorsed the main opposition United Democratic Party for the Massembeh councillorship by-election, held on Saturday. The endorsement bore fruits, as UDP’s Bakary S. Jarju was duly elected as councillor.
