Gambia Takes Bold Step Towards Justice with Appointment of British Barrister

Wed Apr 08 2026 22:30:02 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In a significant move for accountability, The Gambia has appointed British barrister Martin Hackett as its first special prosecutor to tackle human rights abuses from Yahya Jammeh's regime.

The Gambian government has taken a crucial step in addressing the human rights violations committed during ex-President Yahya Jammeh's 22-year rule by appointing Martin Hackett as the first special prosecutor. Hackett will oversee a newly established office aimed at prosecuting those implicated in atrocities including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The appointment follows recommendations from the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission, which called for accountability and reparations for victims.

British barrister Martin Hackett has been appointed as The Gambia's first special prosecutor to try those responsible for human rights abuses carried out during the 22-year rule of ex-President Yahya Jammeh, which ended when he went into exile in 2017.

Hackett will head a newly created office tasked with dealing with cases from a period defined by widespread repression, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.

The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) was established to document the extent of the alleged abuses.

In its final report, handed to current President Adama Barrow in 2021, it identified those most responsible and recommended their prosecution. The TRRC, which heard harrowing testimony from victims and witnesses, also called for reparations to be paid to the victims, warning that failure to act risked entrenching impunity.

The TRRC has begun phased compensation payments starting with victims of abuses committed shortly after the 1994 coup when Jammeh first came to power. However, many survivors emphasize that accountability is more critical than financial reparations.

Among the most notorious abuses highlighted by the TRRC were the 2004 murder of journalist Deyda Hydara and the execution of over 50 mainly West African migrants, wrongly accused of plotting a coup.

Several perpetrators have already been convicted abroad under the principle of universal jurisdiction, including former members of the notorious paramilitary unit known as 'the Junglers,' who have faced justice in Germany and the US.

Hackett's appointment, recognized for his previous work with the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon and war crime investigations during the Kosovo war, signals a decisive move towards domestic accountability. Attorney General Dawda Jallow stated that Hackett has a four-year mandate and was selected from a broad range of candidates.

Jammeh, who has denied any wrongdoing, remains in exile in Equatorial Guinea, following regional intervention after his refusal to step down after a surprising election defeat in December 2016.