The trial of Michael Sang Correa, a former Gambian intelligence officer accused of committing torture under ex-President Yahya Jammeh’s regime, is set to conclude this week in a federal court in Denver, Colorado—marking a rare human rights case brought under U.S. jurisdiction. The proceedings, which began on April 7, involve six felony charges, including conspiracy to commit torture and multiple counts of torture, stemming from Correa’s alleged role as a member of the “Junglers”, a paramilitary death squad that operated during Jammeh’s 22-year rule.
According to court documents, nine Gambian survivors and witnesses testified about abuse they suffered or witnessed at the hands of Correa between 2006 and 2016, including beatings, electric shocks, and mock executions. The incidents are said to have occurred at sites like the National Intelligence Agency headquarters and other clandestine detention centers. Correa was arrested in the U.S. in 2020 while seeking asylum, and has remained in federal custody since. His trial is being prosecuted under the U.S. Torture Act, a law that allows American courts to try individuals accused of torture committed abroad, even if the victims and the accused are foreign nationals.
Human rights advocates, including Yusuf Taylor of Askanwi, have hailed the trial as a historic milestone, noting it is the first time a former Gambian official is being prosecuted abroad for crimes committed during the Jammeh era. The verdict is expected later this week and could set a precedent for other transnational justice efforts, particularly as Gambia’s own efforts at accountability—following the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC)—face delays in domestic prosecutions. Jammeh, who lives in exile in Equatorial Guinea, has not faced trial but was named as responsible for widespread abuses by the TRRC, which recommended prosecution of him and top officials, including members of the Junglers.
