A former Gambian minister under ousted dictator Yahya Jammeh went on trial in Switzerland on January 8 for crimes against humanity in a milestone case where a serial rape victim will testify after a multi-decade wait for justice.
Former interior minister Ousman Sonko becomes the highest-ranking official to be tried in Europe under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows grave crimes to be prosecuted anywhere. Sonko, 54, faces charges including murder, multiple rapes, and torture between 2000 and 2016 in what is Switzerland's second trial ever for crimes against humanity. He denies the charges. Sonko could face a life sentence as a maximum possible penalty.
Fatoumatta Sandeng, the daughter of Solo Sandeng, a Gambian opposition activist killed in custody in 2016, said she is eager to look into Sonko's eyes in court. "If we don't hold people accountable, things like this will keep happening in Gambia, in Africa, all over the world," she said.
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