Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, THE GAMBIA). The Swiss Federal Criminal Court will announce its judgment on December 1, 2026, in the appeal of former Gambian Interior Minister Ousman Sonko, whose 20-year prison sentence for crimes against humanity committed during Yahya Jammeh’s rule is being challenged by the prosecution, the defence and ten plaintiffs.
The announcement will follow appeal hearings that opened on March 30 and concluded on April 16, 2026, after three weeks of proceedings examining key aspects of the original judgment.
Sonko was sentenced on May 15, 2024, after the court found him guilty of multiple crimes against humanity committed in The Gambia between 2000 and 2016, during Jammeh’s presidency. The offenses covered by the judgment included killings, torture and unlawful detention.
The court also ordered his expulsion from Switzerland for 12 years.
The prosecution, Sonko and ten plaintiffs subsequently appealed aspects of the ruling, placing several findings and legal questions before the appeal court.
The hearings examined arguments concerning Sonko’s criminal responsibility, the evidence supporting his convictions, the legal classification of the alleged crimes and the appropriateness of the sentence imposed at first instance.
The appeal also revisited the treatment of sexual-offense charges that had been discontinued during the initial proceedings, with the relevant findings among the matters contested by the parties.
The December 1 judgment will determine the outcome of the appeals. Whether the court upholds, modifies or otherwise changes the original ruling will become clear when its decision is announced.
Sonko, who served as interior minister under Jammeh, was arrested in Switzerland in January 2017. His conviction in 2024 marked a significant development in international efforts to pursue accountability for serious crimes committed during the former Gambian government.
The appeal judgment is expected to draw attention from survivors, plaintiffs, human rights organizations and transitional justice advocates in The Gambia, where accountability for abuses committed during Jammeh’s 22-year rule remains a major public concern.
The ruling will also clarify the legal outcome of one of the most prominent cases brought abroad over alleged abuses committed during that period.
The Gambia Journal will report on the court’s decision and its implications following the announcement.
Source: Swiss Federal Criminal Court.
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