Former Gambian Minister Sonko faces appeal over Jammeh-era atrocities
Bellinzona, Switzerland (PANA) – Appeal proceedings in the case of former Gambian Interior Minister, Ousman Sonko, opened on Monday at the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, nearly a decade after his arrest and almost two years after his conviction for crimes against humanity.
In May 2024, the court found Sonko guilty of multiple counts of crimes against humanity committed between 2000 and 2016 during the rule of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
At Monday’s hearing, the defence argued that Switzerland lacked jurisdiction over alleged offences committed between 2000 and 2006, and maintained that the plaintiffs' appeals should be limited to procedural grounds.
The prosecution and plaintiffs are expected to respond on Tuesday, after which the court is anticipated to rule on these preliminary issues before proceeding with witness hearings, including testimony from Sonko.
Sonko, arrested in 2017 following a complaint filed by TRIAL International, is the highest-ranking official ever convicted in Europe under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
In its 2024 judgment, the court found him guilty of the killing of a perceived political opponent in 2000; torture and unlawful detention linked to a coup plot in March 2006; the killing of a politician in 2011; and deprivation of liberty and acts of torture — including one killing — against peaceful demonstrators in 2016. The court also ordered him to compensate the plaintiffs.
However, the court dismissed all charges related to sexual violence, ruling that some alleged acts were time-barred while others were isolated incidents that did not meet the threshold of crimes against humanity.
Appeals have been filed by the defence, the Office of the Attorney General, and ten plaintiffs, each challenging different aspects of the ruling. While Sonko contests the judgment in its entirety, the prosecution and plaintiffs are appealing specific elements.
The appeal hearings, expected to last at least two weeks, will see five plaintiffs travel from The Gambia to attend the trial.
“I sincerely hope that this process will bring truth, accountability, and justice,” said Ramzia Diab Ghanim, one of the plaintiffs. “My deepest wish is that the voices of victims and survivors are heard and respected, and that this trial contributes to healing and dignity for all those who suffered.”
The proceedings come as The Gambia continues efforts to establish a special tribunal to prosecute crimes committed under Jammeh’s rule.
The Sonko case forms part of a broader wave of prosecutions targeting alleged perpetrators, including convictions in Germany and the United States involving members of the “Junglers” death squad.
-0-PANA MSS/RA 30March2026
