Bai Lowe was yesterday Thursday sentenced to life in prison by a German court in the city of Celle.
Lowe was a member of the Jammeh-era hit squad known as the Junglers, and was convicted of crimes against humanity, murder, and attempted murder for his role as a driver for the hit squad known as the Junglers.
Hydara family welcomes the sentence
Baba Hydara, the eldest son of the late Deyda Hydara, has welcomed the sentencing of Bai Lowe to life imprisonment by a German court for his participation in an act that killed Deyda Hydara, the managing editor and co-proprietor of The Point Newspaper.
“We are pleased to welcome the strongest verdict in Celle today," said Baba Hydara, the eldest son of Deyda Hydara.
“This is a milestone judgment on every level, especially with regards to universal jurisdiction. We thank the judiciary for their tenacity and steadfastness in delivering justice today," Baba who is in Germany, added.
“We believe that this is only the beginning; we feel that there are many more people to be held accountable. Most importantly, the main perpetrator, former president Yahya Jammeh, who is currently hiding in Equatorial Guinea,” he pointed out.
“We are pleased to hear the dismay from the judge today about the lack of action from the Gambia Government. This will hopefully be an eye opener for them to take the necessary actions against other people who are responsible for these crimes,” Mr. Hydara said.
“As a family, we are grateful for a day like today after such a long wait, we can finally start to see some positive news for change.”
“We thank everyone who has been a supporter to us during this difficult time.”
The Victims' Centre (VC) in The Gambia has also welcomed the verdict.
Victims’ Centre reaction
“The VC, CSOs, and other victim-led organisations welcome the verdict of Bai Lowe's life sentence. It is highly welcome and has come at the right time,” Adama Jalllow, the coordinator of VC said.
“This is a signal for other perpetrators who are on the run to understand that they cannot escape justice." The VC and other victim-led organisations will continue to pursue justice for the victims.”
"We acknowledge government’s efforts towards the transitional justice process, and we have asked for reparations for victims to be looked into, and to put down all possible mechanisms in place for prosecuting Jammeh," Jallow revealed.
