The Gambia has appointed a special prosecutor to pursue long-delayed justice for crimes committed under the rule of former president Yahya Jammeh, nearly two years after the post was first created.
The Ministry of Justice announced on Wednesday that British lawyer Martin Hackett has been selected to head the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO), tasked with investigating and prosecuting serious human rights violations linked to Jammeh’s 22-year rule.
Jammeh ruled The Gambia from 1994 to 2017, a period the country’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) found was marked by widespread abuses, including killings, torture, kidnappings, witch hunts, and enforced disappearances. The commission estimated that between 240 and 250 people were killed by state forces during his tenure.
Hackett, whose background includes international war crimes, genocide, and counterterrorism prosecutions, including work with the United Nations, is expected to lead cases against individuals implicated in the TRRC findings.
Lawmakers and civil society groups had previously criticised delays in filling the post, which authorities attributed to extended consultations and procedural requirements. The vacancy was officially advertised in May 2025.
Under his mandate, Hackett will be responsible for prosecuting around 70 individuals recommended by the TRRC for alleged crimes committed during the Jammeh era. He is also expected to begin work in the country before the end of the month.
International legal expert Reed Brody said Hackett’s experience in complex accountability cases would be critical, particularly in handling cases involving command responsibility and sexual violence.
Following Jammeh’s defeat in the 2016 election by current president Adama Barrow, the former leader fled into exile in 2017 and has remained in Equatorial Guinea since then.
The TRRC, established in 2017, heard testimony from nearly 400 victims and witnesses before issuing its final report in 2021, which recommended prosecuting Jammeh and dozens of alleged accomplices.
In late 2024, the regional bloc ECOWAS supported the creation of a hybrid tribunal to try crimes from the Jammeh era, although funding and implementation remain unresolved.
Hackett will reportedly have discretion to pursue cases either within The Gambia or through the proposed ECOWAS-backed tribunal once it becomes operational.
The move is seen as a significant step toward transitional justice after years of delays in holding alleged perpetrators accountable for abuses committed under Jammeh’s authoritarian rule.
