The Gambia has appointed British barrister Martin Hackett as its first special prosecutor to lead domestic trials for human rights abuses committed during the 22-year authoritarian rule of former President Yahya Jammeh. Hackett will helm a newly established office tasked with prosecuting cases from a period marked by widespread repression, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.
This move follows the work of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which documented extensive alleged crimes and, in its 2021 final report to President Adama Barrow, identified key perpetrators and recommended prosecutions. The TRRC, after gathering harrowing testimony from victims and witnesses, also advocated for victim reparations, warning that inaction could perpetuate impunity.
"For many survivors, financial compensation is secondary to accountability," the report emphasized.
Among the most notorious cases cited are the 2004 murder of journalist Deyda Hydara and the execution of over 50 West African migrants falsely accused of coup plotting. While some perpetrators have been convicted abroad under universal jurisdiction—including former members of the paramilitary "Junglers" unit jailed in Germany and the U.S.—Hackett's appointment signals a pivotal step toward domestic justice.
Hackett, who previously served at the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon and investigated Kosovo war crimes, has a four-year mandate. Attorney General Dawda Jallow noted he was selected from a broad pool of candidates.
Jammeh, who refused to cooperate with the TRRC, was forced into exile in Equatorial Guinea in 2017 after regional troops intervened following his refusal to accept a shock election defeat. Now 60, he has denied wrongdoing. The TRRC has begun phased compensation payments, starting with victims from the early post-1994 coup era, but the focus remains on legal accountability to address the legacy of his regime.