In a landmark case, former Gambian interior minister Ousman Sonko, who served under the ousted dictator Yahya Jammeh, faced trial in Switzerland on Monday for crimes against humanity. These proceedings mark a significant development as Sonko becomes the highest-ranking official to be tried in Europe under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which permits the prosecution of grave crimes anywhere, as asserted by the Swiss campaign group TRIAL International, the entity that filed the complaint against him.
The trial at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona saw the presence of nine Gambian plaintiffs, including Binta Jamba, who alleges multiple rapes by Sonko. Outside the courtroom, she held a sign demanding justice for Jammeh and his accomplices. The charges against Sonko, aged 54, include murder, multiple rapes, and torture spanning the years 2000-2016, constituting Switzerland’s second-ever trial for crimes against humanity. Sonko denies all charges.
Madi Ceesay, a 67-year-old plaintiff who claims to have been detained and tortured under Sonko, expressed optimism before the trial, stating, “It has been a long period of waiting, waiting with anger, anxiety. But I am very optimistic now and I feel so happy. I am smelling justice.”
Philippe Currat, the defense lawyer for Sonko, requested the court to dismiss the case, citing issues with the investigations and hearings. He criticized the handling of the case and highlighted concerns about evidence based on secret hearings in Gambia and interviewees not being informed of their rights.
The indictment outlines that Jamba was allegedly raped multiple times by Sonko between 2000-2002 after he murdered her husband in connection with an alleged planned coup attempt. The charges also describe a 2005 incident where Sonko reportedly held her captive for five days, subjecting her to beatings and repeated rapes. Jamba claims to have been impregnated twice by Sonko, with him financing the subsequent abortions.
Currat aims to prove Sonko’s absence during much of the period of the alleged crimes. Additionally, he plans to argue that certain charges, including rape, are not admissible as they transpired before a relevant Swiss law took effect in 2011.
Sonko, arrested in Switzerland in early 2017 while seeking asylum, could face a life sentence as the maximum possible penalty. The trial carries significant implications, with observers, including Fatoumatta Sandeng, daughter of Solo Sandeng, a Gambian opposition activist killed in custody in 2016, emphasizing the importance of accountability. Sandeng stated, “If we don’t hold people accountable, things like this will keep happening in Gambia, in Africa, all over the world.”
(Reuters)
