#Headlines

Appeal trial against former Interior Minister Sonko opens in March 2026

Jan 7, 2026, 12:17 PM

The appeal trial of Ousman Sonko, former Interior Minister of The Gambia, will open on 30 March 2026 before the Higher Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Federal Criminal Court (FCC).

On 15 May 2024, Ousman Sonko was found guilty of multiple counts of crimes against humanity for atrocities committed between 2000 and 2016, during the rule of former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh. He was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. The accused, the Office of the Attorney General, and ten plaintiffs have appealed the decision.

His trial was the second for crimes against humanity in Swiss judicial history. Ousman Sonko was also the highest-ranking state official ever to be tried in Europe for international crimes under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

The appeal trial will take place on the following dates: