ARTICLE 19 is deeply concerned by the unlawful, violent arrest and continued detention of peaceful demonstrators who assembled outside the headquarters of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) in Serekunda in The Gambia on 22 August 2025. Protesters demanded the suspension of a regressive directive from PURA regarding internet costs and appealed to the authority to review and reconsider its regulatory objectives. Police responded by arresting 23 individuals, despite the right to protest being enshrined as a constitutional right. ARTICLE 19 calls on the Gambian government to protect the right to protest and to freedom of expression and urges it to foster an open, safe environment in which people are free to exercise their constitutional rights. ARTICLE 19 stands in solidarity with all Gambians defending their right to be heard, and their right to access information, including via the internet.
Among those detained are prominent activists and artists, including journalist Yusef Taylor and rapper Ali ‘Killa Ace’ Cham from Team Gom Sa Bopa, a Gambian youth movement committed to freedom of expression, citizen participation, and strengthening the role of artists in social and political life. While three people have since been released on conditional bail, the others remain in detention. They were brought to the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court on 25 August, and the court rejected their bail applications, setting the next hearing for 4 September. Four of the protesters –’Killa Ace’, Yusef Taylor, Lamin Sey, and Fallou Gallas Ceesay – staged hunger strikes while held at the Mile Two prisons.
ARTICLE 19 has received reports indicating that several protesters were subjected to brutal assaults during and after their arrest, some beaten in full view of the media and others attacked off camera in police pick-ups and vans. Security forces used tear gas against people arriving at the court to support and show solidarity with arrested protesters, including Mady Jobarteh, a renowned activist and human rights defender. The activist was later taken to the hospital. At least two other people detained also required hospitalisation, one following an epileptic seizure and another who sustained a serious shoulder injury during clashes with police.
The right to protest is not merely a privilege to be granted at will but a fundamental freedom guaranteed under Section 25 of the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia and under international human rights standards to which the country is bound. Peaceful demonstrators must never be treated as illegal for voicing concerns about decisions that directly affect citizens’ lives.
‘The brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters is a decline of civic rights and an attack on democracy. Citizens should never fear repression when they exercise their fundamental rights. The Gambia has made some progress in recent years, but the repetitive repression and threats to decent voices risk eroding those hard-won gains. The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all those detained, drop all charges, and ensure that police using violence against protesters are held to account,’ said Alfred Nkuru Bulakali, Regional Director, ARTICLE 19 Senegal and West Africa.
ARTICLE 19 stands with the youth, civil society, and all Gambians who defend their rights to be heard and urges the government to reaffirm its commitments to human rights, protect civic space, and guarantee that every Gambian can speak out and assemble without fear.
Context
The recent protests were sparked by PURA’s 16 August 2025 directive imposing a mandatory data price floor of GMD 50 per gigabyte. This decision, which led to an unprecedented 243% increase in mobile data prices, ignited widespread public outrage, particularly among young people, students, and activists, who rely heavily on affordable internet for education, work, and expression. Following the protests and public pressure, the government has announced the creation of a high-level committee to review PURA’s directive.
For more information, please contact:
Maateuw Mbaye, Protection and Civic Space Officer, ARTICLE 19 Senegal/West Africa. Email: [email protected] Tel: +221785958337
Office line: +221338690322
Email: [email protected]