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More than 20 years after atrocities committed during the Second Congo War, the French Cour d’assises de Paris delivered a landmark judgment against former minister and armed group leader Roger Lumbala. But beyond the verdict itself, the trial is also significant for how it underscored key elements of international justice, including the organisation of the proceedings...

This article is available in French only.

(Geneva, 30 March 2026) – Nearly a decade after his arrest, and almost two years after a landmark conviction, appeal proceedings open today in Bellinzona, offering a renewed opportunity for victims of Jammeh-era crimes to seek justice. In May 2024, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court (FCC) found Ousman Sonko guilty of multiple counts of crimes against humanity committ...

Who is Ousman Sonko and what is he accused of?  Ousman Sonko is a former Gambian government official who served under the regime of President Yahya Jammeh. Over the course of his career, Mr. Sonko held several senior positions: commander of the State Guard, Inspector General of Police, and, from 2006 to 2016, Minister of the Interior. He stands accused, an...

The origins of the case Hope was born on 22 October 2011, the day Khaled Nezzar was arrested in Switzerland. Five victims had brought civil proceedings against him, accusing the former Algerian Defence Minister of participating in the war crimes of torture, inhuman treatment, arbitrary detention and murder, as crimes against humanity. The events allegedly took pla...