New York– Michael Sang Correa, an alleged former member of a Gambian death squad known as the “Junglers,” will stand trial in a United States federal court in Denver on April 7, 2025, on charges of torture and conspiracy to commit torture. Human Rights Watch has released an updated question-and-answer document about the case and its broader legal implications, HRW said on Monday, April 7, 2025.
The trial, for alleged crimes committed in Gambia by a Gambian national, is possible because US law contains provisions permitting “universal jurisdiction.” Universal jurisdiction allows for the prosecution, under certain circumstances, of serious crimes under international law no matter where they were committed, and regardless of the nationality of the suspects or victims.
“The first trial in the United States for serious crimes committed in Gambia offers hope for victims of crimes during the presidential administration of Yahya Jammeh who have been awaiting justice,” said Michelle Reyes Milk, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch. “The US can play a larger role as part of global efforts to secure justice for atrocity crimes by building on its growing practice under universal jurisdiction and ensuring that Congress addresses gaps in the US law.”
Correa’s trial was originally scheduled to start on September 16, 2024. However, on September 11, the judge presiding over the Correa case postponed the trial until 2025, following a defense motion seeking a delay to allow the defense to take depositions from two witnesses in Gambia.
This trial, only the third of its kind in the United States, reflects a global trend for victims of the most heinous crimes—including those committed during Yahya Jammeh’s brutal rule in Gambia between 1994 and 2017—to access justice globally.
The question-and-answer document provides background on and implications of the Correa case, including:
- Information on the accused;
- Description of the crimes charged;
- Explanation of universal jurisdiction laws in the United States and universal jurisdiction trends globally;
- Gaps and limitations in US law that should be addressed;
- Fair trial rights of the accused; and
- Significance of the case for victims and international justice, and for other victims of the Jammeh era in Gambia.
For the question-and-answer document on the Correa trial, please visit:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/09/11/us-trial-against-gambian-accused-torture
For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Gambia, please visit:
https://www.hrw.org/africa/gambia
For more Human Rights Watch reporting on international justice, please visit:
https://www.hrw.org/topic/international-justice