The High Court in Banjul will today start hearing the retrial of Three Years Jotna leaders weeks after the first trial was dismissed.

The leaders of the anti-government group were freed last month by the High Court after the state withdrew the case but were subsequently re-arrested and charged again by police.

They faced charges of unlawful assembly and rioting after a 2019 protest against President Barrow’s five year term in office turned violent. 

“We are back at the High Court today at 12pm to begin the second trial of the same charges against us, 3 Years Jotna leadership! The matter is now before Justice Achibonga of the High Court,” Yankuba Darbo one of the leaders on trial said in a Facebook post. 

“The same charges were before Justice Bakre from 2020 to 2021, which the State withdrew at a point of replying to Defences’ No Case to Answer Submissions, on 10 February 2021. Now that same State has brought back the same charges for a new trial before a new Judge.” 

The activist-lawyer said the Three Years Jotna group will continue “to remind and hold President Adama Barrow of his 3 Years pledge to the Gambian people.”