Gambiaj.com – (Denver, USA) – Opening statements are set to begin today in the U.S. trial of Michael Sang Correa, a former member of Gambia’s notorious paramilitary unit known as the “Junglers,” who is accused of torturing political opponents of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh nearly 20 years ago. The case, tried under a rarely invoked U.S. law that allows prosecution for torture committed abroad, marks another major international legal proceeding linked to Jammeh’s regime.

Correa, indicted in 2020 while living in the United States, is charged with conspiracy to torture individuals suspected of involvement in a failed coup attempt against Jammeh in 2006. Prosecutors say Correa and his co-conspirators brutally assaulted detainees, beating them with pipes and wires, suffocating them with plastic bags, and administering electric shocks—including to their genitals.

Defense to Argue Duress

In a trial expected to feature harrowing testimonies from survivors, Correa’s lawyers are set to argue that he was coerced into participating in the alleged abuses. Court filings suggest that the defense will emphasize the life-threatening conditions within the “Junglers“, asserting that members who refused to follow Jammeh’s orders risked execution themselves.

While the prosecution will seek to portray Correa as an active participant in the torture sessions, the defense is likely to frame him as a victim of circumstance, forced to act under duress. This argument could become a key battleground as the trial unfolds.

U.S. Prosecutors Build Historic Case

Correa’s trial is only the third under a U.S. legal statute that allows individuals to be prosecuted for torture committed overseas. Previous cases under this law resulted in lengthy prison sentences for two U.S. citizens.

Prosecutors are expected to present evidence linking Correa directly to the acts of torture, arguing that his role in the Junglers extended beyond coercion and that he actively participated in systematic abuses against detainees.

From Jammeh’s Bodyguard to U.S. Defendant

Correa entered the U.S. in December 2016 with a visa to serve as a bodyguard for Yahya Jammeh, who was then facing mounting pressure to relinquish power. However, after Jammeh’s ouster, Correa remained in the U.S. and overstayed his visa, eventually settling in Denver and working as a day laborer.

Human Rights Watch and other international rights groups have closely monitored the case, viewing it as a significant step in holding Jammeh’s enforcers accountable for human rights violations. With opening statements set for today, the trial is poised to shed new light on the inner workings of the Junglers and the brutal tactics they employed under Jammeh’s rule.