The ex-jungler, 45, is accused of severely torturing soldiers suspected of attempting to overthrow Jammeh in 2006.
He was slapped with six counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture. But count five was dropped during the beginning of the trial after a key witness was unable to travel to the U.S. to testify. He is also recorded as the third individual and the first foreign national to be prosecuted in the U.S. for committing torture abroad.
According to the defence counsel, his client had no choice but to accept orders from his superiors, and in doing so, he would arrest, torture, or kill.
He said it was a well-known adage "comply now and complain later" in the Gambia Army Forces. Counsel Westbroek states that it was a culture nurtured, especially on junior soldiers, and his client was no exception.
According to Correa’s attorney, the continued threats in the unit had him not have a choice about whether to participate in torture—let alone, a decision to make about whether to join a conspiracy.
“Following an order is not the same as making an agreement,” Westbroek told jurors.
He added: “It is hard for Americans who live in a “very blessed country” with the freedom to understand Correa’s situation.”
“The defendant is on trial today because of the choices he made,” Marie Zisa, Justice Department attorney also told jurors, while asking them to find Correa, who was sitting with his attorneys, guilty of all six charges.
“The victims have not forgotten his cruelty,” she stated.
She said that one of the alleged victims (a soldier) was stuffed into a bag, suspended high in the air, and then dropped to the ground.
“Some people were tortured before they were questioned by a panel investigating the coup, while others were later subjected to torture, including beatings that could last hours,” Zisa further said.
The prosecution's first witness is Prof. Maggie Dwyer, an expert in African Studies & International Development, University of Edinburgh. Her expertise lies in comparative analysis across west Africa, including The Gambia.
Professor Dwyer's testimony established the historical and geographical context of the case and addressed the porous nature of the region's borders and coups in the Sahel region.
