12 new political prisoners freed in Gambia

Gambia’s high court on Tuesday released 12 political prisoners on bail.

Their release came a day after another court granted bail to prominent lawyer and politician Ousainau Darboe and 18 opposition members who had been on bail pending an appeal of their sentence for “unlawful assembly.”

The group released on Tuesday had also been arrested for taking part in an “unlawful assembly” in May.

According to Reuters their defence lawyer Antouman Gaye said, “The writing is on the wall for all these cases Either the government concedes they are highly politically motivated cases with no legal basis or the incoming government drops them.”

The release of political prisoners in the country comes just days after Gambia’s long serving president Yahya Jammeh lost elections to political novice Adama Barrow, raising hopes of an end to years of repression under Jammeh’s rule.