[JURIST] There is “[n]o hope” for a fair election in Gambia due to widespread intimidation and violence towards the opposition, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] said [report] Wednesday. The report, titled “More Fear than Fair,” details the increase of violence and detainment of opposition activists following a crackdown on opposition leaders earlier this year, beginning in April with the detention of Solo Sandeng [Jollofonews report], an opposition leader who led a mass protest. Sandeng was beaten to death and his followers were also beaten. This year alone approximately 90 opposition activists have been arrested. The current president, Yahya Jammeh, who has been in power since a successful coup in 1994, has even threatened the opposition with extreme violence being quoted saying “[i]f you want to destabilize this country, I will bury you nine-feet deep.”

This report comes after the Gambian government announced that it will be leaving [JURIST report] the International Criminal Court (ICC). During the televised statement, Information Minister Sheriff Bojang criticized the court for ignoring western atrocities, referring to the ICC as “an International Caucasian Court.” Gambian President Yahya Jammeh had previously called upon the court to investigate the death of African migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to access Europe. Instead, Gambia alleges, the ICC has been disproportionately scrutinizing African leaders. Gambia’s intended departure was the third by an African nation.