The Criminal Chamber of the Federal Criminal Court has decided that the proceedings against former Gambian Interior Minister Ousman Sonko will continue.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
The amended indictment is valid, contrary to the criticism of the defence lawyer.
Last year, the court had invited the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) to make certain additions if necessary. This is legally permissible, the presiding judge stated on the second day of the trial. He rejected the defence counsel’s request to rely on the first version of the indictment.
According to the judge, the question of Switzerland’s jurisdiction to conduct these proceedings and the possible statute of limitations for certain offences could not be decided by the court as part of the preliminary questions.
Only after the evidence had been analysed could it be decided whether a systematic attack on the civilian population had taken place in Gambia. This would determine whether the offences should be qualified as crimes against humanity and which limitation periods apply.
More
More
The Swiss NGOs that use universal jurisdiction to bring war criminals to justice
This content was published on
A portrait of the Geneva-based NGOs Civitas Maxima and TRIAL International and their fight for international justice.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Universal jurisdiction gains ground in Switzerland
This content was published on
The recent conviction in Switzerland of a former Liberian warlord will pave the way for more such international trials, legal experts hope.
Gambian ex-minister faces crimes against humanity charges in landmark Swiss trial
This content was published on
A former Gambian minister will go on trial on Monday in Switzerland in a long-awaited case, accused of crimes against humanity.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.