Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has been named among the world’s ten most ‘wanted’ former heads of state, according to a report by Justice Info, a leading publication on international justice.
The report, which details a list of ex-leaders accused of serious crimes, places Jammeh alongside figures such as Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir and former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It highlights allegations of grave human rights violations committed during Jammeh’s 22-year rule from 1994 to 2017.
Although no known international arrest warrant has been issued for Jammeh, Justice Info notes that a Special Tribunal for The Gambia is being created to prosecute him. Jammeh faces accusations of overseeing extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, rape, and arbitrary detention, with an estimated 240 people reportedly executed under his regime. Additionally, he is infamous for administering a fraudulent AIDS treatment that endangered lives.
The report contextualizes Jammeh’s status by listing other leaders sought for prosecution. It states that at the top of the list are those indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It also highlights that while the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Sudan’s al-Bashir and leaders of Myanmar and the Taliban, the French justice system is pursuing al-Assad, who has sought refuge in Russia.
The report further states that former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has fled to India, Ethiopia’s Mengistu Haile Mariam is in Zimbabwe, and former Central African Republic leader François Bozizé remains in exile in Guinea-Bissau.
Jammeh has lived in exile in Equatorial Guinea since 2017, following his removal from power through a regional military intervention after he refused to accept election defeat. The efforts to establish a Special Tribunal for The Gambia signal an ongoing push for accountability over alleged crimes committed during his reign.
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