Summary
The Gambia appointed British lawyer Martin Hackett as its special prosecutor to handle cases of human rights abuses during former President Yahya Jammeh's regime. Hackett's role is to address crimes like extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances documented by The Gambia's Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
Key Facts
- Martin Hackett is a British barrister appointed as The Gambia's special prosecutor.
- His task is to prosecute abuses from Yahya Jammeh's 22-year rule, which ended in 2017.
- The TRRC documented human rights abuses and recommended prosecutions in its 2021 report.
- Victims' families have sought justice for extrajudicial killings and disappearances.
- Some violators have been convicted abroad under universal jurisdiction laws.
- Jammeh did not cooperate with the TRRC and is reportedly in exile in Equatorial Guinea.
- The TRRC also called for reparations for victims, with payments already begun.
- Hackett's previous experience includes work with the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
