A German court has sentenced a Gambian man, identified as Bai L, to life imprisonment for his complicity in crimes against humanity and murder related to a notorious paramilitary unit.
Bai L served as a driver for the “Junglers,” a squad associated with The Gambia’s former President Yahya Jammeh.
The unit came under scrutiny during the 2019 hearings of Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), where three other “Junglers” accused Mr. Jammeh of orchestrating numerous murders, including the high-profile 2013 killings of two US-Gambian businessmen and veteran local journalist Deyda Hydara.
According to media reports, Bai L faced accusations of involvement in stopping Hydara’s car before his assassination and subsequently driving one of the assailants away.
Yahya Jammeh, after a 22-year tenure as president, initially resisted relinquishing power following his defeat in the 2016 election. He eventually went into exile after regional forces intervened to compel his resignation.
The TRRC, established after Jammeh’s departure, gathered testimonies from numerous witnesses detailing execution squads and alleged human rights abuses under his regime.
Human Rights Watch notes that Bai L’s trial took place in Germany due to its recognition of universal jurisdiction for severe crimes, regardless of where they occurred.
