By: The Fatu Network Editorial
Michael Sang Correa, an alleged former member of a Gambian death squad, is set to stand trial for torture in a U.S. federal court, marking a historic first. The trial, scheduled to begin on April 7, 2025, in Denver, Colorado, will be the first time a non-U.S. citizen is prosecuted under U.S. law for torture committed abroad.
Correa, who is accused of being part of the Junglers, a notorious death squad that operated under the regime of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, faces six counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the torture of individuals linked to a 2006 coup attempt against Jammeh’s regime. The indictment details the methods of torture, including beatings, suffocation with plastic bags, and electric shocks.
The case will be prosecuted under the U.S. Torture Act, a 1994 law that allows U.S. authorities to prosecute individuals who have committed acts of torture outside the country, provided the accused is found in the U.S. This trial has drawn significant attention as it represents “only the third trial under the Act” and the first to involve a non-U.S. citizen, according to a press release issued by TRIAL International on March 26, 2025.
Human rights organizations played a crucial role in bringing this case forward. As stated in the TRIAL International press release, “A coalition of human rights organizations, including the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), member groups of the Alliance of Victim-Led Organizations (AVLO) and TRIAL International, played a crucial role in urging the United States to investigate allegations of international crimes attributed to Mr. Correa in The Gambia.” CJA represents several of Correa’s alleged victims with co-counsel King and Spalding LLP.
The trial is considered “a critical step towards securing truth and justice for victims of Jammeh’s dictatorship, which was characterized by widespread human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and arbitrary detention.”
Originally scheduled for September 2024, the trial will now take place from April 7 to 18, 2025, at the Alfred A. Arraj United States Courthouse in Denver.
