The Swiss Federal Criminal Court of Bellinzona has ruled that the trial of Ousman Sonko, a henchman to former President of the Gambia Yahya Jammeh, will proceed without translation into English.

The court also ruled that the amendment made after the indictment was valid and that the legal criteria leading to its jurisdiction were met.

The court will then examine the substance of the cause, including whether crimes against humanity were committed in The Gambia during the period for which Ousman Sonko was indicted.

The court will then consider the parties’ arguments and case law to decide on its jurisdiction and the statute of limitations. The court also ruled that the evidence gathered was in compliance with the law and well documented, and the case file remains unchanged.

The court will not provide interpretation for parts of the trial that it considers not essential for the parties to understand.

The trial will examine Ousman Sonko’s criminal responsibility over all charges brought against him, including murder, sexual violence, torture, and detention conditions imposed on plaintiffs arrested in April 2016.

Ousman Sonko is a 55-year-old Gambian citizen. After occupying the positions of Commander of the Presidential Guard and Inspector General of Police, he was appointed Minister of the Interior by former dictator Yahya Jammeh in 2006.

He held this position until September 2016, when he was removed from office and fled the Gambia.

TRIAL International filed the criminal complaint against Ousman Sonko in January 2017, following which he was arrested. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Switzerland indicted him in April 2023 for multiple counts of crimes against humanity, allegedly committed between 2000 and 2016.

His trial is taking place from January 8 to 30, 2024, before the Swiss Federal Criminal Court (FCC), situated in Bellinzona.