Tomorrow, Michael Sang Correa, a 45-year-old Gambian citizen and alleged former member of the notorious “Junglers” death squad, will learn his fate in a landmark US federal trial at the Alfred A. Arraj United States Courthouse in Denver. The jury has concluded deliberations in what marks the first prosecution of a non-US citizen under the US Torture Act for crimes committed abroad, a case watched closely by human rights advocates and Gambian activists worldwide.
Correa faces six counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture, stemming from his alleged role in brutalizing suspected coup plotters following a failed 2006 attempt to overthrow former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh.
Prosecutors allege that Correa and other Junglers subjected victims to severe physical and mental abuse, including beatings with pipes and wires, suffocation with plastic bags, electric shocks, and dripping molten plastic or acid on detainees’ bodies. The accusations detail a harrowing campaign of violence at Gambia’s Mile 2 Prison and National Intelligence Agency headquarters, targeting political opponents during Jammeh’s 22-year dictatorship, which ended in 2017.
The trial, which began on April 7, 2025, has been a significant test of universal jurisdiction, a legal principle allowing the prosecution of grave international crimes regardless of where they occurred or the nationality of the accused. Testimonies from survivors, including former Gambian military officer Pharing Sanyang and others who traveled to Denver, described enduring extreme cruelty at the hands of Correa and his unit.
Their accounts, corroborated by findings from Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC), painted a grim picture of systematic torture under Jammeh’s regime.
Correa’s defense argued that he was a low-ranking private acting under duress, facing potential torture or death himself if he disobeyed orders.
Defense attorney Nicholas Westbroek emphasized to jurors that “following an order is not the same as agreeing,” highlighting the climate of fear within the Junglers. Prosecutors countered that Correa made deliberate choices, noting that some Junglers refused to participate despite the risks, urging the jury to hold him accountable for his actions.
The case has drawn international attention as a rare instance of the US leveraging its 1994 Torture Act. Only two prior prosecutions under the statute have involved US citizens.
A guilty verdict could see Correa facing up to 20 years per count, potentially totaling 140 years in prison. An acquittal, however, might lead to immigration proceedings, given his expired visa status, with possible deportation to Gambia or extradition for other alleged crimes, including extrajudicial killings linked to the Junglers.
Human rights organizations, such as the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), which represents victims in the case, have hailed the trial as a step toward justice for Jammeh’s victims. “This case sends a clear message: perpetrators of atrocities have nowhere to hide,” said CJA attorney Carmen Cheung Ka-Man.
In Gambia, activists like Fatoumata Sandeng, whose father died in detention, see the trial as a complement to ongoing efforts to establish a Special Tribunal for Jammeh-era crimes, approved by ECOWAS in December 2024.
As the verdict looms, the outcome will likely resonate far beyond Denver, shaping the global fight against impunity and offering a measure of closure—or continued anguish—for survivors of Gambia’s dark chapter. The court is set to reconvene tomorrow, April 15, 2025, to deliver the jury’s decision.
