Justice for Gambia
In January, TRIAL International was alerted of the presence in Switzerland of Ousman Sonko. As the right-hand man of Gambia’s fallen dictator Yahya Jammeh, Sonko is suspected of taking part in acts of torture, including in detention centers. Invoking the principle of universal jurisdiction, TRIAL International filed a criminal complaint, after which Sonko was promptly arrested by the Swiss authorities. He has since been held in custody and an investigation for crimes against humanity is ongoing.
Torture victims speak up in Sonko case
The Sonko case profiled TRIAL International as one of the key players in Gambia’s transitional justice process. As such, it was invited to join the international movement to bring to justice the former president himself. The campaign, dubbed “Jammeh2Justice”, is led by Gambian activists and impunity expert Reed Brody.