Human
Rights Commissioner Bärbel Kofler and the European External Action Service
(EEAS) spokesperson have issued statements calling for investigations into the
death of UDP party members Ebrima Krummah and Solo Sandeng.
The
full statements of both bodies are featured verbatim below:
Statement
of Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal
Foreign Office in Berlin.
Human
Rights Commissioner on the death of Gambian opposition politician Ebrima Solo
Kurumah
Bärbel
Kofler, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and
Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement
on 24 August 2016:
“I
am deeply concerned by reports from the Gambia. Opposition politician Ebrima
Solo Kurumah is said to have died last Saturday, shortly after undergoing
surgery at a hospital to which he had been transferred from prison. He had
allegedly earlier been refused medical aid in prison.
Ebrima
Solo Kurumah was arrested on 9 May together with 35 other members of the UDP
opposition party for reasons unknown. 20 of those arrested were later released.
Charges were brought against the other 16, including Kurumah.
In
July, 19 other UDP members were sentenced to three years in prison. They had
protested in April against the death in police custody of a leading member of
the UDP, and had called for electoral reform.
The
rights guaranteed by the Gambian constitution, such as freedom of expression
and the right of peaceful assembly, must be upheld at all times. The deployment
of the security forces against demonstrators must not violate the principle of
proportionality.
I
call on the Gambian Government to investigate the circumstances leading to the
deaths of opposition members Ebrima Solo Kurumah and Solo Sandeng quickly and
thoroughly. I equally call on the Gambian Government to investigate the
accusations of torture in prisons and to ensure that all prisoners are treated
humanely.”
Background
information:
Ebrima
Solo Kurumah was arrested on 9 May together with 35 other members of the
Gambian UDP opposition party in circumstances that remain unclear. Charges were
brought against 16 of these people, including Ebrima Solo Kurumah and a young
woman with a four-month-old baby.
Leading
members of the Gambian UDP had previously demonstrated, on 16 April, against
the arrest of Solo Sandeng and other opposition members two days earlier.
Solo
Sandeng had held a peaceful protest for electoral reform with members of the
UDP, and was arrested for his actions by the Gambian security forces. He died
in jail shortly thereafter. In July, the Gambian Government announced that an
inquiry would be held into the death of Sandeng, but no results have yet been
produced.
In
July, 19 of the opposition members arrested on 16 April were sentenced to three
years in prison for offences including unlawful assembly, disturbance of the
peace and conspiracy. 11 of the demonstrators of 14 April were also convicted
of these offences and sentenced to three years in jail.
Issued:
24.08.2016
Statement
by European External Action Service (EEAS) Spokesperson on the death in custody
of Gambian opposition member Ebrima Solo Krummah
Mr
Ebrima Solo Krummah, a Gambian opposition member, has died after undergoing
surgery whilst being held in custody.
He had been arrested on 9 May, together with
other members of the UDP party, having participated in peaceful protests and
reportedly being brought to court only in June.
After the death of Mr Solo Sandeng in April,
this is the second time in a few months that a member of the opposition has
died in custody.
The Government of The Gambia should shed full
light on the circumstances of these deaths allowing for an independent
investigation.
It is imperative to respect the right to
physical integrity of individuals held in state custody. Human rights and fundamental freedoms as
enshrined in the Gambian Constitution and in the international treaties the
country is party need to be fully respected.
