Former Gambian minister charged with crimes against humanity
Former Gambian interior minister Ousman Sonko in a photo from 2012.
Kairo News
Swiss prosecutors have charged a former interior minister of the Gambia with crimes against humanity for his alleged role in years of repression by the west African country’s security forces against opponents of its long-time dictator.
This content was published on
3 minutes
AP/Keystone-SDA/ts
Español
es
Ex ministro gambiano acusado de crímenes contra la humanidad
Ousman Sonko was the Gambia’s interior minister from 2006 to 2016 under then-President Yahya Jammeh. He applied for asylum in Switzerland in November 2016 and was arrested in January 2017.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) said the indictment, which was filed on Monday in Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, covers alleged crimes between 2000 and 2016.
Sonko “is accused, in his various capacities and positions, of having supported, participated in and failed to prevent systematic and generalised attacks as part of the repression carried out by the Gambian security forces against all opponents of the regime”, the office said in a statementExternal link on Tuesday.
Jammeh, who seized control in a 1994 coup, lost the Gambia’s 2016 presidential election but refused to concede defeat to Adama Barrow. Jammeh eventually fled amid threats of a regional military intervention to force him from power.
Asylum-seeker
Sonko, who joined the Gambian military in 1988, was appointed as commander of the State Guard in 2003, a position in which he was responsible for Jammeh’s security, Swiss prosecutors said. He was made inspector general of the Gambian police in 2005.
Sonko was removed as interior minister in September 2016, a few months before the end of Jammeh’s government, and left the Gambia for Europe to seek asylum.
Sonko was arrested in January 2017 in Bern, where he had been living for several months as an asylum-seeker in a transit centre. He has been in jail ever since. His case was brought following a complaint from the Geneva-based NGO TRIAL International, initially for torture, which was then requalified as crimes against humanity.
Swiss prosecutors said they conducted numerous interviews with the suspect, as well with about 40 interviews with plaintiffs, witnesses and others providing information, and made six trips to the Gambia during their investigation.
The OAG said it “accuses the defendant in particular of having, in the context of five events between 2000 and 2016, participated, ordered, facilitated and/or failed to prevent killings, acts of torture, acts of rape and numerous unlawful detentions”.
Universal jurisdiction
“We are very satisfied that this is going ahead,” said Philip Grant, executive director of TRIAL International.
“We hope this will generate momentum and that the trial will put pressure on Equatorial Guinea to eventually extradite Jammeh,” he added, referring to the country where the Gambia’s former president fled to after a political crisis in 2017.
He said Sonko would be the highest political figure ever to be brought to trial in Europe under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
More
More
Five years on, the slow wheels of Swiss justice in Gambian case
This content was published on
Gambian ex-interior minister Ousman Sonko has been remanded in Switzerland for five years, suspected of serious crimes. Why so long?
Have you heard something about Swiss diplomacy that you’d like us to fact check?
Not all information circulating about Switzerland’s foreign relations is accurate or well understood. Tell us what you'd like us to fact check or clarify.
Swiss scientists discover unusual zones in Earth’s mantle
This content was published on
Using high-resolution models to study the Earth's mantle, scientists have identified zones of rocks in the lower mantle that are colder, or have a different composition, than surrounding rocks.
Egyptian diplomat’s murder: prosecutor calls for acquittal of defendant’s girlfriend
This content was published on
The Swiss attorney general has called for the girlfriend of the main defendant in the case of the assassination of an Egyptian diplomat in Geneva in 1995 to be acquitted. The woman is charged with complicity.
Low-cost e-tailers Temu and Shein put Swiss retail sector under pressure
This content was published on
Most Swiss retailers are concerned by the stiff competition from China's low-cost online platforms Temu and Shein, according to a survey.
This content was published on
More and more offices are standing empty in Switzerland's major cities. Nevertheless, new office constructions are likely to increase in the future, a study shows.
Zoos should consider culling surplus animals to regulate populations, say researchers
This content was published on
Researchers from the University of Zurich say zoos must rethink population management and allow animals to reproduce naturally - zoos should then cull surplus animals.
Swiss billionaire Martin Haefner creates foundation
This content was published on
Martin Haefner, owner of the car importer Amag and one of Switzerland's richest citizens, has set up a foundation with his wife Marianne.
Swiss army cuts uniform distribution to save millions
This content was published on
Members of the Swiss Armed Forces will only receive a distinctive grey dress uniform, the famous "Tenü A", for representational purposes in the future as a cost-cutting measure to save CHF55 million.
Swiss, Danish tourists among three dead in Australian plane crash
This content was published on
A light aircraft crashed during take-off from a tourist island in Western Australia, killing three people including Swiss and Danish tourists and injuring three others, authorities said on Wednesday.
Presidents of Ukraine and Switzerland discuss future meeting
This content was published on
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Swiss counterpart, Karin Keller-Sutter, have held talks by phone to prepare a future bilateral meeting, it was announced on Wednesday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss investigators go to Gambia for Sonko case
This content was published on
Former Gambian Interior Minister Ousman Sonko, suspected of crimes against humanity, is to stay in a Swiss jail until at least the end of October.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.