World Courant
Switzerland’s highest court docket has sentenced Ousman Sonko, Gambia’s former inside minister, to twenty years in jail for crimes in opposition to humanity.
In its verdict on Wednesday, the Federal Legal Court docket in Bellinzona, southern Switzerland, stated Sonko was responsible of intentional homicide, torture and false imprisonment throughout former President Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule over the nation.
The costs in opposition to Sonko, who was inside minister from 2006 to 2016, associated to alleged crimes throughout 16 years underneath Jammeh, who was faraway from energy in 2017.
Swiss prosecutors had accused Sonko, who was acquitted of rape, of supporting, taking part in and failing to cease assaults on opponents in Gambia. The indictment included 9 counts of crimes in opposition to humanity.
Sonko, who was within the courtroom, utilized for asylum in Switzerland in November 2016 and was arrested two months later.
The trial began in January. The 55-year-old can attraction in opposition to the decision.
Rights teams welcomed the ruling, obtained underneath “common jurisdiction,” which permits international locations to prosecute alleged crimes in opposition to humanity, battle crimes and genocide no matter the place they had been dedicated.
Philip Grant, govt director of TRIAL Worldwide, stated on X that it despatched a “resounding message in opposition to impunity”. The advocacy group had filed the grievance that led to Sonko’s arrest.
#Gambian ex-interior minister Ousman Sonko convicted of #Humanitariancrimes in #Switzerland! Historic case is on the highest stage in Europe #UniversalJurisdictionsends a convincing message in opposition to impunity.
Perpetrators at ministerial stage are actually throughout the attain of justice!!!— Philip Grant (@PhilipGrant40) Could 15, 2024
Reed Brody, an American human rights lawyer who attended the trial, stated: “The lengthy arm of the legislation is catching up with Yahya Jammeh’s henchmen world wide, and can hopefully quickly meet up with Jammeh himself.”
Beneath the precept of common jurisdiction, Switzerland acknowledges the precise to attempt alleged perpetrators of probably the most severe crimes, whether or not residents or foreigners, so long as they’re on Swiss territory. Sonko would be the second individual to be tried underneath this precept since Switzerland utilized it in 2011.
The one different individual to have been tried for crimes in opposition to humanity within the nation is Alieu Kosiah, a Liberian strongman who was handed a 20-year time period in June 2021 for mass killings and different crimes dedicated in the course of the Liberian civil wars.
Widespread abuse
Jammeh – who now lives in exile in Equatorial Guinea – seized energy in a cold army coup in 1994. His rule was marked by widespread human rights violations, together with arbitrary detention, sexual abuse and extrajudicial killings.
Yahya Jammeh dominated Gambia with an iron grip from 1994 to 2016 (File: Marco Longari/AFP)
The violations that came about underneath him had been aided by allies in official authorities positions. For instance, a loss of life squad, The Junglers, was systematically deployed to assault opponents and torture or remove individuals because the president wished.
Sonko, who joined the Gambian military in 1988, was appointed commander of the State Guard in 2003, a place through which he was liable for Jammeh’s safety, Swiss prosecutors stated. In 2005, he was additionally appointed Inspector Common of the Gambian Police.
He was ousted as inside minister in September 2016, a number of months earlier than Jammeh left the nation. The previous president had refused to simply accept Adama Barrow’s victory within the 2016 elections however was pressured to resign by forces from the 15-member Financial Group of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc.
Human rights monitor Amnesty Switzerland referred to as the decision “a milestone within the struggle in opposition to impunity and a historic success for common jurisdiction in Switzerland and Europe,” posting on X that “even former ministers will be prosecuted.”
Swiss court docket finds Gambian ex-minister responsible of crimes in opposition to humanity | Crimes in opposition to humanity Information
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