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| 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.
