A court in Germany has sentenced a Gambian man to life in prison for crimes against humanity and murder over his role in a notorious paramilitary unit.
The man, identified as Bai L, worked as a driver for the squad known as the "Junglers" on behalf of The Gambia's former President Yahya Jammeh.
In 2019, during hearings of Gambia's Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), three other members of the "Junglers" accused Mr Jammeh of ordering numerous murders, including the notorious 2013 killings of two US-Gambian businessmen and veteran local journalist Deyda Hydara.
Among the crimes that Bai L was accused of was helping to stop Hydara's car before he was killed and driving one of the assassins away, the AFP news agency reports.
After 22 years as president, Mr Jammeh initially refused to give up power after losing an election in 2016. He finally went into exile after regional states sent troops to force him to step down.
The TRRC, which was set up after he left, heard from hundreds of witnesses about execution squads and other alleged rights violations committed under his rule.
Bai L's trial was able to take place in Germany as it recognises universal jurisdiction for serious crimes wherever they were committed, rights group Human Rights Watch says.
Latest Stories
-
Ex-staff of GN Bank extend felicitation to President-elect Mahama
5 minutes -
President-elect Mahama receives proposals for national development from NACCC
6 minutes -
Bui Power Authority commissions 50-megawatt solar power plant at Galgu
7 minutes -
Over 10k fibre optic cable cuts reported across Ghana
12 minutes -
Yagbonwura congratulates President-elect Mahama
14 minutes -
A night of celebration at the 2024 Beaujolais Nouveau and CCIFG 10th anniversary
39 minutes -
Raw noise 2024 – Detty Rave continues its unmatched energy this December in Accra
47 minutes -
EC in yet another cybersecurity mess: Your private information exposed to the world
53 minutes -
Musk in talks over Reform UK donation, says Farage
1 hour -
Honda and Nissan hold merger talks
2 hours -
The city where shopkeepers fear their CCTV cameras could get them killed
2 hours -
Bawumia to grace Parliament’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
2 hours -
UK removes nearly 13,500 migrants since election
2 hours -
Fourteen dead as Vanuatu searches for earthquake survivors
3 hours -
Petrosol’s Energising Dreams Promo: 14 more lucky customers win big in second draw
3 hours