Opposition leader returned to jail after bail revoked

Gambia's firebrand opposition leader Lamine Waa Juwara, who is awaiting trial on sedition charges, has been re-arrested after his bail order was revoked by a judge. Police detained Juwara on Thursday as he reported to a police station in the capital Banjul in compliance with his bail conditions. He was immediately taken to court where Judge Emmanuel Paul revoked his right to remain at liberty while awaiting trial. The judged ruled that Juwara had breached the conditions of his bail order by failing to report to the police station in the company of his lawyer. There were rowdy scenes in the High Court on Friday when Juwara made a fresh appearance to appeal against the decision. Judge Paul rejected the appeal and activists of Juwara's National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM) attempted to barricade themselves inside the court as he was led down to the cells. "This time our leader will not go alone. They will have to arrest us all," cried Pa Manneh, the head of the NDAM's youth wing. Juwara was charged with sedition after calling for mass protests against the government of President Yahya Jammeh, which he accused of corruption and economic incompetence, in a newspaper interview published on 29 September. "People should take to the streets to show Jammeh and his government that they have lost faith in their ability to better the lives of the Gambian people," he told the bi-weekly Independent. Juwara's trial is set for December 19. However, Bory Touray, the opposition leader's lawyer, told reporters after his latest court appearance: "The way and manner in which Justice Paul is handling this case leaves me and my client unconvinced that the trial judge will administer justice." Juwara has been in and out of jail several times since Jammeh came to power in this small West African country in a 1994 coup. He formed the NDAM last year after resigning from Gambia's largest opposition party, the United Democratic Party (UDP) in protest at its decision not to contest the 2002 legislative elections. Juwara was a senior civil servant under Sir Dawda Jawara, who ruled this former British colony from independence in 1965 until his overthrow by the army in 1994. He told reporters on Friday as he was being led out of court: "I have always complied with the conditions of my bail, so I don't understand the judge's decision to rescind it. Anyway, this latest decision doesn't ruffle me since I have been subjected to routine arrest and detention and even torture, by this regime." Juwara was charged in 1998 with damaging construction work at Brikama mosque, but the case was dismissed by the trial judge. He was also beaten up by an unidentified assailant that year while police looked on and failed to intervene. In October 2001 his house was set on fire. No-one has ever been arrested in connection with the arson attack.