A landmark trial has begun in Switzerland for a former Gambian minister accused of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, and torture, during the brutal rule of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh.
Ousman Sonko, who served as interior minister from 2006 to 2016, is the highest-ranking official to be tried in Europe under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows grave crimes to be prosecuted anywhere.
He faces charges of participating in, supporting, and failing to stop attacks against regime opponents in the West African country, where Jammeh’s 22-year reign was marked by systematic and widespread human rights violations.
Sonko, 54, was arrested in early 2017 in Switzerland, where he was seeking asylum. He denies the charges.
Nine Gambian plaintiffs are coming to Switzerland for the hearing at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, which is expected to last until January 30.
One of them, Binta Jamba, alleges that Sonko raped her multiple times between 2000 and 2002 after he killed her husband in connection with an alleged coup attempt.
She also claims that he held her captive for five days in 2005, beating and raping her repeatedly. She fell pregnant by him twice and he paid for the abortions, according to the indictment.
Another plaintiff, Madi Ceesay, says he was detained and tortured under Sonko in 2000. He told Reuters news agency that he had been waiting for justice for a long time.
“It has been a long period of waiting, waiting with anger, and anxiety. But I am very optimistic now and I feel so happy. I am smelling justice,” he said.
Sonko’s lawyer, Philippe Currat, has asked the court to abandon the case, citing problems with the investigations and hearings.
He said some of the evidence in the indictment had been based on secret hearings in Gambia and that interviewees had not been informed of their rights.
He also argued that many of the alleged crimes against humanity, including the rape charges, happened before a relevant Swiss law took effect in 2011 and are not admissible.
The trial is seen as a significant step toward accountability and justice for the victims of Jammeh’s regime, which ended in January 2017 after he lost an election and was forced to flee.
Jammeh himself is living in exile in Equatorial Guinea and has refused to cooperate with a truth commission set up by his successor, President Adama Barrow, to investigate the abuses committed under his rule.
The commission has heard shocking testimonies of extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, and enforced disappearances by Jammeh’s security forces.
Fatoumatta Sandeng, the daughter of Solo Sandeng, a Gambian opposition activist killed in custody in 2016, said she was eager to look into Sonko’s eyes in court.
“If we don’t hold people accountable, things like this will keep happening in Gambia, in Africa, all over the world,” she said.
The trial is also a rare example of the use of universal jurisdiction, which has been hailed by human rights groups as a powerful tool to fight impunity.
Swiss campaign group TRIAL International, which filed the complaint against Sonko, said the case was an opportunity to reach a conviction for crimes that are often ignored or denied.
“Universal jurisdiction cases are complex, lengthy, and costly, but they are crucial for the victims who have nowhere else to turn to,” said Philip Grant, executive director at TRIAL International.
He added that the trial could also inspire other countries to use the same legal mechanism to prosecute perpetrators of atrocities.
The trial comes amid growing calls for justice and reconciliation in Gambia, where many people are still traumatized by the legacy of Jammeh’s dictatorship.
However, some experts say that the trial in Switzerland could also pose challenges for the Gambian justice system, which is still undergoing reforms and lacks the capacity and resources to handle complex cases.
“The trial may raise expectations among victims in Gambia that may not be met by the domestic authorities,” said Sanna Manjang, a researcher at the University of Birmingham.
She said that the trial could also create tensions between the supporters and opponents of Jammeh, who still has a loyal base in the country.
Manjang said that the trial should be accompanied by efforts to raise awareness and engage with the Gambian public, as well as to support the Truth Commission and the victims’ groups.
She also urged the Swiss authorities to cooperate with the Gambian government and share the evidence and information gathered during the investigation.
“The trial is an important step, but it is not enough. There needs to be a holistic approach to address the past and prevent future violations,” she said.
Source: Reuters
