A Swiss federal court on Wednesday found Ousman Sonko, a former government minister from Gambia, guilty of crimes against humanity under former dictator Yahya Jammeh, as reported by a Geneva non-governmental organization supporting the plaintiffs.
Reed Brody, a war crimes prosecutor attending the trial, stated that “Ousman Sonko was convicted of intentional homicide, torture, and false imprisonment” but was acquitted of rape charges.
The ruling, issued by the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, can be appealed. Sonko, the former interior minister, is the highest-ranking official ever to be tried in Europe under universal jurisdiction, which allows the prosecution of the most serious crimes anywhere.
