A Gambian national, Michael Sang Correa, has been sentenced to 810 months (more than 67 years) in prison for his role in the torture of numerous victims in Gambia in 2006.
Correa, a member of the feared armed group “the Junglers,” was convicted by a US jury in April for his participation in the brutal treatment of suspected coup plotters and opponents of former dictator Yahya Jammeh.
The victims endured severe abuse, including beatings, stabbings, burnings, and electrocutions, at the hands of Correa and his co-conspirators.
The US Justice Department said the case marks the first criminal prosecution over involvement in the Junglers, a secretive offshoot of the Gambian army that took orders from Jammeh.
Correa was arrested in 2020 under a law that makes it a crime for anyone in the US to commit torture abroad.
The sentencing judge, Senior Judge Christine Arguello, handed down the 810-month prison term after convicting Correa on one count of conspiracy to commit torture and five counts of torture.
Key Details of the Case:
- Torture Methods: Victims were subjected to electric shocks, beatings, and burning with acid in a torture chamber.
- Arrest and Prosecution: Correa was arrested in 2020 and charged with torture under a US law that prohibits such acts abroad.
- Sentence: 810 months in prison for conspiracy to commit torture and five counts of torture.
- Significance: This case marks the first conviction of a non-US national on federal torture charges, highlighting the US government’s commitment to holding human rights violators accountable.
