On 15 June, Marcel Libama, an adviser for CONASYSED and the union confederation Dynamique Unitaire, was arrested in Tchibanga city after discussing the case of a detained colleague, Cyprien Moungouli, during a Radio Massanga show. He was held for three days at a police station, and on 20 June transferred to the local prison. He was charged with insulting a magistrate, obstruction of justice and defamation. On 17 June, Juldas Biviga, a journalist from Radio Massanga, was also arrested for refusing to delete recordings of archived interviews, among other things. On 13 July, both Marcel Libama and Juldas Biviga were severely beaten by their prison guards. Suffering injuries to his ankles, ribs and ears, Juldas Biviga was transferred to hospital. They both received sentences of 184 days in prison and a EUR450 fine. On 27 August, security forces arrested Hervé Mombo Kinga, an activist and prominent supporter of Jean Ping. He had publicly projected videos next to his internet café, and was charged with “instigating violence” and “insulting the Head of State”, and spent one and a half months in solitary confinement. He remained in detention at the end of the year. IMPUNITY The ICC continued its preliminary examination into whether alleged crimes committed after May 2016, including in the context of the 2016 presidential elections, could amount to crimes under the Rome Statute, and whether the criteria for opening an investigation were met. In June, representatives of the ICC conducted a twoday visit. GAMBIA Republic of the Gambia Head of state and government: Adama Barrow (replaced Yahya Jammeh in January) The new government committed to reforming several repressive laws and Amnesty International Report 2017/18 reforming the security forces. Steps were taken to begin a transitional justice process. BACKGROUND Following mediation by regional leaders and the threat of a military intervention by ECOWAS,1 former President Yahya Jammeh accepted the results of the December 2016 presidential elections and departed Gambia on 21 January for Equatorial Guinea.2 ECOWAS had a coalition force stationed in Gambia scheduled to withdraw in mid-2018. Adama Barrow was inaugurated in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, on 19 January during the impasse. LEGAL, CONSTITUTIONAL OR INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS On 10 February, the government cancelled the planned withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the ICC which had been introduced under President Jammeh’s rule.3 On 21 September, Gambia signed the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, in an apparent step towards abolishing the death penalty. Plans were initiated to begin a constitutional reform process and to reform other repressive laws implemented under the previous President. Bills on the Constitutional Review Commission and Human Rights Commission were passed by the National Assembly on 13 December. POLITICAL PRISONERS Between December 2016 and January 2017, dozens of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience were released, including prisoners of conscience Amadou Sanneh and Ousainou Darboe. On 30 January, President Barrow pardoned Ousainou Darboe and dozens of others arrested for taking part in a peaceful protest in April 2016. DETENTION Prison conditions did not meet international standards due to inadequate sanitation, food and access to medical care. In February, 174 prisoners were released to commemorate 169