Historic Torture Trial of Former Gambian Soldier Begins in U.S.

Michael Sang Correa faces charges in Denver under the U.S. Torture Act for alleged human rights abuses committed in Gambia nearly two decades ago.

Michael Sang Correa is the first non-U.S. citizen to be tried under the U.S. Torture Act for crimes committed abroad, marking a legal milestone in international accountability.
Prosecutors allege Correa, as part of Gambia's 'Junglers' military unit, tortured six detainees in 2006 following a failed coup attempt against then-dictator Yahya Jammeh.
The alleged torture methods include beatings, electrocution, suffocation with plastic bags, and the use of molten plastic and acid on victims' bodies.
Correa entered the U.S. in 2016, overstayed his visa, and was arrested in 2019 in Denver, where he had been living and working as a day laborer.
The trial, closely monitored by human rights organizations and Gambian activists, is seen as a significant step toward holding perpetrators of systemic torture accountable.