A former soldier from Gambia has been found guilty of torture by a US court for his role in crimes committed during the regime of the feared leader Yahya Jammeh in the West African nation.
Michael Sang Correa was convicted for participating in a conspiracy to torture individuals suspected of opposing the government while he was part of a military group known as the “Junglers.”
“The acts of torture carried out by Michael Sang Correa and his accomplices are reprehensible,” stated the Justice Department.
This verdict came after a week-long trial in Denver, Colorado, conducted under a rarely invoked law that allows for the prosecution of crimes committed outside the United States.
Correa was initially arrested in the US in 2019 for overstaying his visa, three years after he moved to Denver, where he reportedly worked as a laborer.
At 46 years old, he faced charges in 2020 for torture and conspiracy related to the torture of at least six individuals in The Gambia, under a law that permits the US judicial system to prosecute torture committed abroad.
According to the Department of Justice, he is the first non-US citizen to be convicted of torture in a federal district court for offenses committed overseas. This law has been applied only twice since its introduction in 1994, with previous cases involving US citizens.
The Justice Department emphasized that Correa “sought to escape accountability for his actions in The Gambia by relocating to the US and concealing his history.”
“But we located him and conducted an investigation,” remarked Matthew Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Correa and his fellow Junglers tortured five individuals accused of attempting a coup against Jammeh.
The victims, including notable figures from Jammeh’s inner circle who had fallen out of favor, recounted to the jury their experiences of being tortured through electrocution and suffocation with plastic bags.
According to the Justice Department, “Correa and his co-conspirators subjected the victims to beatings, stabbings, burns, and electrocution.”
On Tuesday, prosecutors stated that Correa “was a key figure in carrying out this torture against the victims.” He faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each of the five counts of torture, as well as for the conspiracy to commit torture, as reported by the Justice Department.
Correa’s defense team contended that he was merely a low-ranking soldier following orders from his superiors. However, during the trial, prosecutors highlighted that some members of the Junglers had refused to carry out orders to torture victims, indicating that the group lived in “constant fear.”
“This conviction sends a strong message that those who commit human rights violations will be held accountable, no matter where their crimes occur,” stated Sirra Ndow, chair of the Alliance of Victim-Led Organisations in The Gambia (AVLO).
Yahya Jammeh, who took power in 1994, thwarted multiple coup attempts before unexpectedly losing the 2016 election to Adama Barrow. His regime was marked by numerous allegations of human rights violations and state oppression, which he has consistently denied.
Following his electoral defeat, Jammeh went into exile in Equatorial Guinea but continues to wield significant influence in The Gambia.
The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which operated from 2019 to 2021, revealed the atrocities committed during Jammeh’s rule and recommended legal action against those involved.
Last year, a Swiss court sentenced Jammeh’s former interior minister to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity.
