A U.S. federal jury in Denver has convicted former Gambian soldier Michael Sang Correa on six counts of torture and conspiracy to commit torture, marking the first-ever prosecution under the United States’ extraterritorial torture statute related to crimes committed during the brutal regime of former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh.
The charges stemmed from incidents at the National Intelligence Agency headquarters and other unofficial detention sites in The Gambia. The case was built on damning evidence, including audio recordings, photographic proof, and the testimony of survivors and eyewitnesses. Several victims flew from The Gambia to testify in court, providing chilling accounts of beatings, electric shocks, and other forms of abuse.
Correa was arrested in 2019 while living in the United States. His prosecution was made possible under the 1994 U.S. Torture Act, which allows for the prosecution of acts of torture committed abroad when the accused is present on American soil. The conviction is expected to set a precedent for future prosecutions of Jammeh-era officials and has renewed calls for international cooperation to bring more former regime figures to justice.
