The United Democratic Party chapter in the United States of America damned the conviction of the party’s media officer. Lasana Jobarteh was la.ukst week convicted and fined D50,000 by a rookie Magistrate Isatou Janneh.
Read below a statement issued by the UDP-USA.
The UDP USA condemns in the strongest terms the vile and unjust judgment rendered by Magistrate Isatou Janneh on the 10th of July 2014 convicting Mr. Lasana Jobarteh to a fine of D50, 000 or a one year prison term, on the patently bogus charge of using Skype to facilitate overseas Gambians to listen in on a legal political rally jointly organized by the UDP, PPP and GMC. To convict an innocent man on a manufactured charge with no basis in Gambian law in the Holy month of Ramadan is testament to the pervasive judicial tyranny our citizens are living under. People like the cruel Isatou Janneh who was assigned to this case only three weeks after she was called to the bar, are eager and willing to violate their faith, judicial ethics, basic decency and pervert the law to exert revenge for an evil tyrant.
Lasana, son of Fansainey and Alabatou Jobarteh is the quintessential patriot, selfless, courageous and always willing to uphold the values we the Gambian people cherish.
We respectfully ask every Gambian who understands the existential threat our nation and people face to stand in solidarity with Lasana in his battle with the forces of terror and repression. You can help with your prayers both for him and the other victims, call him directly, contact him via face book and for those of you who can contribute to his solidarity fund which has been set up to address his legal issues. The following people are coordinating the US fund drive: Mrs. Maimuna Ceesay tel (917) 519-9835, Mr. Mboge Saidykhan tel (206) 551-5703, and Mr. Lamin Tunkara tel (919)757-9469.
Sincerely,
UDP USA
Ends
Only the mandinka elements of the UDP are suffering this kind of fate. The truth needs to be told, my friends.
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shameful and cheap behaviour coming from a rotten regime. first, they wasted his time by deliberately detaining him, then this…….signs of a dying regime.
Mandinkolu alali daa yee lay jee daay. Yahya is playing with us like his toys. No violence please. Just don’t vote or support him in any way or form.
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UDP diaspora to pay Lasana Jobarteh fine of D50,000 and your support is needed.
The UDP U.S have already had an emergency meeting under their interim committee, UDP U.K members and general party supporters are requested to donate towards the legal fine. Any surplus amount left will go toward the UDP youth farms.
Lasana Jobarteh is a local hero who never bows down to all the nefarious pressures. The verdict delivered by an inexperience Magistrate is not accidental. She was chosen purposely to be unfair and unjust. We will continue to stand against tyranny and oppression. Before the final attacks on the regime, we have to expect legal and security suppressive techniques. The people will win at the end. Lend a hand to the Lasana Jobarteh unfair legal fine.
The youth farms also require some financial support to cultivate, we need to energise the youths in productive enterprise, and active agriculture, support the UDP youths.
Contact Suntou Touray for U.K donations
07411248764
Nyima, since jammeh declared his threats against mandinkas not long ago, it is the mandinkas who are suffering this fate.
Mariam and Femi peters had theirs before jammeh’s declared threat against the mandinka.
Kulu baliyaa mang nafasoto. You can respond without being insulting.
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And by the way, instead of jumping on me, why don’t you ask jammeh to stop his tribalism and hatred for the mandinkas to the point of threatening us?? My tribe is under threat and you don’t want me to say it?? Who the hell are you?
The tribal card is in Yahya jammeh’s hands and I have every right to educate my fellow mandinkas about it. I am not against any tribe and have not castigate any one of them.
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If Jammeh is tribalist the rest should’nt be, and if the tribal card is what some of you want to advocate for the struggle to dislodge Jammeh then we will fail. Civilise people dont think and talk about race, tribe and religion. Whats tribe after all.
Nfansu, nobody said anything bad or prejudice against any tribe in The Gambia here. The issue is about one guy in the person of Yahya Jammeh, not his tribe, who declared a threat against mandinkas in The Gambia. That being the case, we the mandinkas have a right to discuss among ourselves and see how best we can counter Jammeh’s threat and cruelty against the mandinkas. As a proud son of the mandinka tribe, it is my responsibility and the responsibility of all mandinkas to highlight the threat of jammeh to all their fellow mandinkas.
We have nothing against any tribe and I personally have never castigate or insult any tribe in The Gambia. As a matter of fact, I have a history of reminding Gambians that Gambia belongs to all the tribes in The Gambia. This, however, does exclude the right of mandinkas to stand up to Yahya jammeh’s bullying.
I will not wait until Yahya jammeh unleash calamity on mandinkas in The Gambia before I start talking. I will talk now.
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Also Nfansu, civilised people everywhere always see it as their responsibility to push back against racism, tribalism, religious intolerance and other forms of social prejudices, and that’s exactly what I am doing.
The uncivilised guy is Jammeh because he is the one with a propensity of expressing profound hatred and threats against the mandinkas in The Gambia. Thus, your advice will be of much value if you can direct it to Jammeh. Otherwise, ppl will be entitled to accuse you of bigotry.
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Well base on my understanding, Tribalism doesn’t really help. We need to avoid mistakes, When politics becomes about identities rather than people, the people suffer. That includes those who hold certain identities.
It is ultimately about trying to silence people talking about serious issues, Our Gambian President want the identity to matter more than the people. That never helps us, because we are not identities we are people.