Sonko’s lawyer criticizes charges and procedural steps
Published: Monday, Jan 8th 2024, 13:31
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The trial against former Gambian Interior Minister Ousman Sonko has begun at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona. The Office of the Attorney General accuses him of crimes against humanity.
As part of the preliminary questions, Sonko's defense counsel explained that Swiss criminal law was not applicable to a significant part of the charges. In addition, acts committed before January 1, 2011 - when the offences relating to crimes against humanity came into force in Switzerland - could not be prosecuted due to the prohibition of retroactivity.
The lawyer also listed numerous steps in the proceedings in which mistakes had been made or his client's rights had been violated. For example, the interviewees in Gambia had not been informed of their right to consult a lawyer.
The OAG accuses the accused of committing numerous crimes between 2000 and 2016, mainly in complicity with other members of the management.
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