Gambian man in Germany, Bai Lowe, went on trial on Monday to face accusations of belonging to group of assassins in Gambia called the ‘Death Squad’ that murdered the opponents of former dictator Yahya Jammeh.
The suspect was accused of crimes against humanity, murder and attempted murder which included the killing of well known journalist Deyda Hydra.
In a court in the northern town of Celle, Lowe (46), wore a black hooded coat and hid his face behind a green folder as he arrived.
According to human rights watch, the trials are the first to prosecute human rights violations committed in Gambia during the Jammeh era on the basis of universal jurisdiction.
Universal jurisdiction allows a foreign country to prosecute crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, regardless of where they were committed.
READ RELATED NEWS: Gambian hiding in Germany arrested for crimes against humanity
Yahoo wrote that outside the courtroom, activists held a placard demanding Jammeh and his accomplices be brought to justice.
Lowe was accused of being involved in two murders and one attempted murder while working as a driver for the hit squad known as the ‘Junglers’ between December 2003 and December 2006. We have more about this here: Gambian charged in Germany over ‘death squad’ killings in Gambia