Switzerland will trial former Gambian minister Ousman Sonko for crimes against humanity, marking a significant milestone in the country's history. Sonko, 54, faces charges including murder, multiple rapes, and torture between 2000-2016. He denies the charges, which have been a long wait for justice. Nine Gambian plaintiffs will travel to Switzerland for the trial, which rights activists see as ensuring global accountability for the worst atrocities.
The defendant's lawyer, Philippe Currat, plans to ask the court to abandon the case due to problems with investigations and hearings. He claims that some evidence in the indictment was based on "secret" hearings in Gambia and that interviewees were not informed of their rights. One of the plaintiffs is Binta Jamba, who was raped multiple times by Sonko between 2000-2002 after he murdered her husband in connection with an alleged planned coup attempt. She fell pregnant by him twice and he paid for the abortions.
Sonko was arrested in early 2017 in Switzerland, where he was seeking asylum. Jammeh's 22-year repressive rule ended in January 2017 after he lost an election and was forced to flee. He could face a life sentence as a maximum possible penalty. Currat claims that Sonko's treatment in Swiss jails has been cruel, with denied food and inadequate medical care. Fatoumatta Sandeng, the daughter of Solo Sandeng, a Gambian opposition activist killed in custody in 2016, expressed her eagerness to look into Sonko's eyes in court.
