Swiss Court Sentences Gambian Ex-Minister to 20 Years for Crimes Against Humanity

A Swiss court has handed down a 20-year prison sentence to a former minister from Gambia, Ousman Sonko, for crimes against humanity committed during the rule of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh.

Sonko was found guilty of intentional homicide, torture, and false imprisonment by the Federal Criminal Court on Wednesday.

“The trial chamber found Ousman Sonko guilty of multiple counts of intentional homicide, multiple counts of torture and multiple counts of deprivation of liberty, each as a crime against humanity,” the court stated.

This verdict marked the first time a European country used universal jurisdiction to prosecute severe crimes. Based in Geneva, TRIAL International initiated the complaint against Sonko and supported the plaintiffs.

Despite denying the charges and accusing the plaintiffs of falsehoods, Sonko spent seven years in pre-trial detention, part of it in solitary confinement. His falling out with Jammeh occurred during the final months of Jammeh’s 22-year regime, leading to Jammeh’s exile in Equatorial Guinea in 2017. Sonko was arrested in Switzerland while seeking asylum that same month.

This is Switzerland’s second civilian trial for crimes against humanity. Human rights groups in Gambia welcomed the verdict.

However, some expressed a desire for Sonko to serve his sentence in Gambia under harsh prison conditions similar to those endured by his victims.

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