The Gambia Journal can confirm that on Tuesday, the Swiss Criminal Court published an amended, reinforced, and updated fresh indictment pertaining to crimes against humanity preferred on former Yahya Jammeh’s Minister of Interior, Ousman Sonko. This development occurred after the Swiss prosecution recently received additional allegations from victims of Yahya Jammeh’s harsh regime and its executioners, such as his former henchman, Ousman Sonko.
The indictment against Ousman Sonko was issued by the Swiss Attorney General on Tuesday, requiring Sonko’s quick appearance. In his submission to the court, Jammeh’s former minister labels the latest indictment “arbitrary, biased,” and made “in evil faith.” Ousman Sonko insisted on his innocence once more.
On November 15th, Ousman Sonko made nearly identical grounds when requesting bail before his trial. According to Yahya Jammeh’s former henchman, the Swiss prosecutor who indicted him delivered a file lacking adequate evidence of a “misdeed.” Sonko went on to accuse the prosecutor of “acting in bad faith” with a “lack of neutrality” and “against him.”
Jammeh’s former interior minister was attempting to capitalize on the fact that the Criminal Court returned Ousman Sonko’s indictment file to the Swiss prosecution in April for completion. Sonko took advantage of the opportunity to accuse the Swiss criminal legal authorities of a “shamless lack of imbia.”
The latest charge goes into depth about systematic crimes against humanity.
The former Jammeh Minister is accused of committing crimes against humanity on a systematic basis for years, according to a fresh indictment released on Tuesday. Ousman Sonko is accused of murdering opposition members and torturing and raping widows for years. The Swiss judiciary has now charged him with dozens of crimes against humanity. Ousman Sonko, in particular, is accused of purposely murdering individuals, deliberately killing, torturing, raping, and severely restricting their freedom.
The alleged murder of a lieutenant and subsequent sexual abuse of his widow is one of the presumed offenses. Sonko led the lieutenant, who was allegedly involved in an attempted coup against the president, into a nocturnal ambush in early 2000, according to the accusation. He shot him there, with the assistance of a few soldiers.
According to the accusation, Sonko broke into the residence of the lieutenant, whom he killed with soldiers, and seized his possessions. When the widow confronted her husband’s suspected murderer, Sonko promised to bring her money to her home.
According to the indictment, Ousman Sonko reportedly raped the widow for the first time during that visit, according to the Office of the Attorney General. For more than two years, that woman has been subjected to systemic sexual abuse. Sonko appeared to the widow every three to four days and raped her.
He also did not assist her in caring for the sick widow when she was admitted to the hospital. When the widow relocated for a new job, Sonko met her on a weekend and sent a driver to take her to a motel. Sonko possessed a weapon, with which he threatened her and thus frequently compelled her to engage in sexual activity.
After a second pregnancy, the widow escaped to the USA.
Sonko caused her to become pregnant twice and paid for the woman’s abortion on both occasions. Shortly after the second treatment, the widow managed to flee to the United States with the assistance of a US Embassy security officer. She had to leave her children in Gambia, however.
Three years later, she returned to her homeland to retrieve her children. However, Sonko, the then Minister of the Interior, became aware of her return. According to the accusation, he had them imprisoned outside a government facility, where he “interrogated” her for many nights, beat her, and raped her. Finally, in 2007, she was able to flee to the United States for the second time, when she successfully sought refuge for her children.
The widow is one of ten victims who are acting as private plaintiffs in Sonko’s criminal case. Trial International, a Geneva-based human rights organization, initially handled the case. Ousman Sonko’s trial before the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona begins on January 8, 2024. The main hearing has been scheduled for several weeks, and the result is expected in the spring.
The fact that crimes against humanity committed abroad are punished in Switzerland stems from a legal duty known as the Geneva Conventions, which require that the perpetrator or suspected perpetrator be detained in Switzerland. Since 2011, such cases have been transferred from the military court system to the Attorney General’s Office.
From escaping the dying Jammeh regime to a prison in Switzerland
Ousman Sonko arrived in Switzerland as an asylum seeker seven years ago. He escaped his home nation of Gambia in September 2016 and filed for asylum. However, because the former minister still possessed a valid Swiss visa, he was quickly moved to a canton of Bern refugee center. A fellow Gambian recognized Sonko and confirmed that Ousman Sonko had been a member of the power structure of the autocratic president Yahya Jammeh for many years, first as police head and subsequently as Minister of the Interior.
The fall of the Gambian president preceded Sonko’s flight abroad. Sonko struggled in recent years after his imprisonment in Switzerland. He filed multiple applications to be released from prison, all of which were denied by the Swiss courts.
The 54-year-old Gambian filed his final request last summer through his Geneva lawyer, after the Attorney General’s Office had already filed charges after years of investigation.
