By Sanna Camara

Michael Correa, accused of being part of the “Junglers,” a death squad that committed human rights abuses at the direction of former President Yahya Jammeh, could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of the six torture and conspiracy to commit torture charges.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Correa with torture and conspiracy to commit the torture of at least six people – a criminal law which allows US to prosecute individuals found within the United States for acts of torture committed abroad.

Center for Justice and Accountability, one of the member organisations of the Association of Victim Led Organisations (AVLO) in The Gambia supporting victims’ quest for justice against Correa in the US, stated on their website, that  the indictment alleges that Correa and other Junglers beat their victims, put plastic bags over their heads, and used electric shocks while they were interrogated, causing victims severe pain and suffering.

“The trial is 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,” a press release from the Geneva-based NGO, Trial International, said today.

The case has drawn significant attention from human rights advocates and legal experts, as it is the first trial of a non-U.S. citizen since the Torture Act was passed in 1994, and only the third trial under the Act.

CJA represents several of Mr. Correa’s alleged victims with co-counsel King and Spalding LLP.

This trial, initially scheduled for September 2024, will take place from April 7 to 18, 2025, at the Alfred A. Arraj United States Courthouse in Denver. Torture Act under US law, defines “torture” as an act committed by a public official or person acting in an official capacity that is intended to cause severe physical or mental pain or suffering to a person in the perpetrator’s control.

“If he is found guilty of all charges pending against him, Correa could face a total of up to 140 years in prison,” CJA said.