By: Isatou Sarr
The National Youth Parliament (NYP) has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all young people arrested during recent protests against the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), including several of its members.
In a press statement issued on 25th August 2025, Abdoulie O. Bah, Clerk of the NYP, said the body is “gravely concerned and deeply troubled” by the treatment of young Gambians who were “unjustly targeted, arrested, and detained.”
According to the statement, youths, including members of the GALA movement and other concerned citizens, gathered peacefully at PURA’s premises to express dissatisfaction with what they see as the Authority’s failure to safeguard the interests of internet users. Instead of dialogue, the protesters were reportedly met with intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and detention in various police stations.
The NYP further noted that when some of the arrested youths were taken before the Magistrate’s Court, they were denied bail and remanded at Mile 2 Central Prison. In response, other young people mobilised to protest the decision but were also arrested, including elected Youth Parliamentarians, “who were merely walking peacefully towards Banjul.”
Calling the arrests an “affront to constitutional rights of association, expression, and assembly,” the NYP warned that criminalizing youth voices would only deepen mistrust between citizens and state institutions.
The Youth Parliament set out three demands: the release of all arbitrarily detained youths, an end to intimidation and harassment of young Gambians, and a commitment from government and security agencies to engage constructively with youth.
“We remind the authorities that young people are not enemies of the state. They are citizens and stakeholders. Silencing them through force will not build a better Gambia,” the statement concluded.