The High Court in Gambia’s capital of Banjul on Wednesday charged 40 people with offenses related to recent protests. More than 50 people were arrested after a demonstration last Thursday by members of the opposition United Democratic Party calling for free speech and an electoral forum. There is concern that three of the high ranking members of the party are dead [JURIST report]. 18 of those charged were accused [Reuters report] on five counts: unlawful assembly, rioting, incitement of violence, interfering with vehicles and holding a procession without a permit. The cases will be heard on April 27.

The treatment of activists has been a constant human rights issue throughout the world. Last month Azeri human rights lawyer and advocate Intigam Aliyev was freed from jail [JURIST report]. Aliyev had been charged with tax evasion, abuse of office and illegal entrepreneurship. Also in March Kuwait’s Supreme Court upheld [JURIST report] the four-year jail sentence against an activist found guilty of insulting judges on Twitter. In February Human Rights Watch criticized [JURIST report] Omani courts for jailing two online activists over posts they wrote on social media websites. Also in February UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein expressed concern [JURIST report] over China’s recent crackdown on lawyers and activists. The commissioner stated that civil society workers should be protected by the state, not harassed.