Swiss court sentences former Gambian Interior Minister to 20 years in prison

According to reports in the national press, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona announced in its verdict that Sonko was found guilty of intentional homicide, torture, and false imprisonment during the period when Jammeh ruled the country for 22 years.

The court sentenced Sonko to 20 years in prison for committing "crimes against humanity."

Sonko, who was removed from his post as Interior Minister in The Gambia in September 2016, applied for asylum in Switzerland in November 2016 and was taken into custody in January 2017.

Swiss prosecutors charged Sonko in April 2023 with "crimes against humanity," including torture, rape, and extrajudicial killings, during his tenure as interior minister between 2006 and 2016.

Sonko, for his part, argued that he had not committed any crimes and that no "crimes against humanity" were committed in The Gambia during that period.

RULED THE COUNTRY FOR 22 YEARS

Former President Jammeh took power in The Gambia in a military coup on July 22, 1994, and ruled the country for 22 years.

Yahya Jammeh was accused of various human rights violations, including "torture, rape, and extrajudicial killings" during his rule, and was defeated by his rival Adama Barrow in the presidential election on December 1, 2016.

Refusing to accept the results, Jammeh rejected calls to relinquish power.

Jammeh, who was supposed to hand over power to Barrow on January 19, 2017, declared a 90-day state of emergency on January 17. Unable to withstand the pressure, Jammeh subsequently left the country on January 21, 2017, and went to Equatorial Guinea.

News Source: AA