Defense Attorney Claims Correa Was Coerced Into Torturing His Victims

 

Photo: Courtroom

By Samba Jawo reporting from the USA

In a striking argument presented in court, the defence attorney for Michael Sang Correa asserted that his client was manipulated and coerced into committing heinous acts of torture against his victims, raising questions about the extent of his culpability in these crimes.

Jared Westbroek, lawyer for the alleged Gambian Jungler, during his Tuesday opening statements at the trial, told jurors that his client was a low-ranking private officer, arguing that he was coerced to torture his victim.

Jared Westbroek argued that Mr Correa was compelled to obey commands from his superiors, and disobeying those instructions would have risked him being tortured or killed—and would not witness a day like (today) in court.

The ex-jungler, 41, is accused of severely torturing soldiers suspected of attempting to overthrow former exile Gambian President Jammeh in 2006.

He was slapped with six counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture. But count five was dropped during the binging of the trial after a key witness was unable to travel to the U.S. to testify. He is also recorded as the third individual and the first foreign national to be prosecuted in the U.S. for committing torture abroad.

According to the defence counsel, his client has no choice but to refuse orders from his superiors, and in doing so, he would also be suggested to arrest, torture, or kill.

He said it was a well-known adage "comply now and complain later" in the Gambia Army Forces. Counsel Westbroek states that it was a culture nurtured, especially by junior soldiers, and his client was no exception.

According to Correa’s attorney, the continued threats in the unit had him not have a choice about whether to participate in torture—let alone, a decision to make about whether to join a conspiracy.

“Following an order is not the same as agreeing,” Westbroek told jurors.

He added: “It is hard for Americans who live in a “very blessed country” with the freedom to understand Correa’s situation.”

“The defendant is on trial today because of the choices he made,” Marie Zisa, Justice Department attorney also told jurors, while asking them to find Correa, who was sitting with his attorneys, guilty of all six charges.

“The victims have not forgotten his cruelty,” she stated.

She said that one of the alleged victims (a soldier) was stuffed into a bag, suspended high in the air, and then dropped to the ground.

“Some people were tortured before they were questioned by a panel investigating the coup, while others were later subjected to torture, including beatings that could last hours,“ Zisa further said.

The prosecution's first witness is Prof. Maggie Dwyer, an expert in African Studies & International Development at the University of Edinburgh. Her expertise lies in comparative analysis across West Africa, including The Gambia.

Professor Dwyer's testimony established the historical and geographical context of the case and addressed the porous nature of the region's borders and coups in the Sahel region.

By Samba Jawo reporting from the USA

In a striking argument presented in court, the defence attorney for Michael Sang Correa asserted that his client was manipulated and coerced into committing heinous acts of torture against his victims, raising questions about the extent of his culpability in these crimes.

Jared Westbroek, lawyer for the alleged Gambian Jungler, during his Tuesday opening statements at the trial, told jurors that his client was a low-ranking private officer, arguing that he was coerced to torture his victim.

Jared Westbroek argued that Mr Correa was compelled to obey commands from his superiors, and disobeying those instructions would have risked him being tortured or killed—and would not witness a day like (today) in court.

The ex-jungler, 41, is accused of severely torturing soldiers suspected of attempting to overthrow former exile Gambian President Jammeh in 2006.

He was slapped with six counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture. But count five was dropped during the binging of the trial after a key witness was unable to travel to the U.S. to testify. He is also recorded as the third individual and the first foreign national to be prosecuted in the U.S. for committing torture abroad.

According to the defence counsel, his client has no choice but to refuse orders from his superiors, and in doing so, he would also be suggested to arrest, torture, or kill.

He said it was a well-known adage "comply now and complain later" in the Gambia Army Forces. Counsel Westbroek states that it was a culture nurtured, especially by junior soldiers, and his client was no exception.

According to Correa’s attorney, the continued threats in the unit had him not have a choice about whether to participate in torture—let alone, a decision to make about whether to join a conspiracy.

“Following an order is not the same as agreeing,” Westbroek told jurors.

He added: “It is hard for Americans who live in a “very blessed country” with the freedom to understand Correa’s situation.”

“The defendant is on trial today because of the choices he made,” Marie Zisa, Justice Department attorney also told jurors, while asking them to find Correa, who was sitting with his attorneys, guilty of all six charges.

“The victims have not forgotten his cruelty,” she stated.

She said that one of the alleged victims (a soldier) was stuffed into a bag, suspended high in the air, and then dropped to the ground.

“Some people were tortured before they were questioned by a panel investigating the coup, while others were later subjected to torture, including beatings that could last hours,“ Zisa further said.

The prosecution's first witness is Prof. Maggie Dwyer, an expert in African Studies & International Development at the University of Edinburgh. Her expertise lies in comparative analysis across West Africa, including The Gambia.

Professor Dwyer's testimony established the historical and geographical context of the case and addressed the porous nature of the region's borders and coups in the Sahel region.

Story edited by Ousman A. Marong.