Today, a federal court in Denver, Colorado, will begin the trial of Michael Sang Correa, a former member of the infamous “Junglers,” a paramilitary group that was part of the regime of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh.
On June 11, 2020, Correa was indicted on six charges of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture. His alleged involvement in a campaign of cruelty under Jammeh’s rule is the basis for the charges.
Judge Christine Arguello is in charge of the case and is expected to start jury selection today. The trial will proceed with opening statements and the introduction of the prosecution’s first witness after the selection procedure.
Correa is charged with being a major player in a state-sponsored death squad that committed extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and torture. Former Junglers testified before The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that Correa was responsible for a number of high-profile crimes, including torturing those who were suspected of taking part in the 2006 coup attempt.
Additionally, he is accused of being involved in the 2012 murders of Chief Ebrima Manneh and well-known journalist Deyda Hydara, as well as the 2013 deaths of Gambian-American citizens Alhagie Mamut Ceesay and Ebou Jobe.
In the fight to hold former members of Jammeh’s regime responsible for human rights abuses throughout his 22-year rule, the trial represents a critical turning point.
