Gambia Human Rights
Human Rights Concerns
Enforced disappearances, torture, attacks on freedom of expression and perceived members of the of lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community, a climate of impunity, and the death penalty are some of the significant human rights concerns in The Gambia.
2014 marked 20 years since President Yahya Jammeh came to power. The authorities continued to repress dissent. The government continued its policy of non-co-operation with UN human rights mechanisms. Successive legislation was passed further restricting freedom of expression and increasing punitive measures against journalists. Human rights defenders and journalists continued to face imprisonment and harassment.
The rights of LGBTI people were further threatened, including the enactment of a law making "aggravated homosexuality" a crime punishable by life imprisonment. In November 2014, eight people were arrested, detained, and tortured as part of a government crackdown on "homosexuality."
The year ended with an attempted coup on 30 December, leading to dozens of arrests and widespread crackdowns on media outlets. In January 2015, at least 30 family members of people alleged to have taken part in the coup attempt were detained without charge or access to their lawyers or families. Some have since been released but many remain in incommunicado as of April 2015. In March 2015, three soldiers were sentenced to death and three to life imprisonment by a secret military court for participation in the attempted coup. The last executions in Gambia were carried out in 2012, when nine prisoners (eight men and one woman) were executed by firing squad.
Relevant Links
Gambia Newsroom
June 1, 2016 • Report
Dangerous to Dissent: Human Rights Under Threat in Gambia
Authorities in Gambia must free dozens of political prisoners and end the brutal crackdown on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly ahead of elections later this year or face suspension from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Amnesty International said in a new report published today.
February 18, 2016 • Report
Amnesty International State of the World 2015-2016
International protection of human rights is in danger of unravelling as short-term national self-interest and draconian security crackdowns have led to a wholesale assault on basic freedoms and rights, warned Amnesty International as it launched its annual assessment of human rights around the world. “Your rights are in jeopardy: they are being treated with utter contempt by many governments around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
February 25, 2015 • Report
State of the World 2014/2015
This has been a devastating year for those seeking to stand up for human rights and for those caught up in the suffering of war zones. Governments pay lip service to the importance of protecting civilians. And yet the world's politicians have miserably failed to protect those in greatest need. Amnesty International believes that this can and must finally change.
May 20, 2013 • Report
Annual Report: Gambia 2013
Republic of the Gambia Head of state and government Yahya Jammeh For the first time in nearly 30 years the death penalty was carried out, as nine death row inmates …
June 28, 2011 • Report
Annual Report: Gambia 2011
Head of state and government: Yahya Jammeh Death penalty: abolitionist in practice Population: 1.8 million Life expectancy: 56.6 years Under-5 mortality (m/f): 123/109 per 1,000 Adult literacy: 45.3 per cent …
March 26, 2011 • Report
Gambia: Fear rules
This report illustrates how human rights violations in Gambia are perpetrated by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), army and police against real and perceived opponents of the government on a routine basis.
March 19, 2011 • Report
Annual Report: Gambia 2010
Head of state and government Yahya Jammeh Death penalty abolitionist in practice Population 1.7 million Life expectancy 55.7 years Under-5 mortality (m/f) 123/109 per 1,000 Adult literacy 42.5 per cent …
December 11, 2019 • Press Release
Aung San Suu Kyi Denials Must Not Distract From Ongoing Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar
Responding to the statement made by Aung San Suu Kyi at the International Court of Justice in The Hague today, Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s Regional Director, said:
June 1, 2016 • Press Release
Gambia: Crackdown and brutal repression in run up to elections
Authorities in Gambia must free dozens of political prisoners and end the brutal crackdown on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly ahead of elections later this year or face suspension from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Amnesty International said in a new report published today.
April 18, 2016 • Press Release
Gambia: Investigate Death in Custody, Free Protesters
The suspicious death in custody of opposition political leader Solo Sandeng and the arrest of his party leader, Ousainu Darboe, and other party members in recent days underscore the repressive nature of the Gambia’s government, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and ARTICLE 19 said today.
