TRIAL International

09/10/2026

⚖️ Testifying in war crimes proceedings can mean confronting deeply painful experiences. Ensuring that witnesses and victims receive adequate support throughout this process is essential.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, specialised witness support mechanisms are already in place. In Montenegro, recent legal changes have set a deadline for establishing similar services.

Earlier this year, TRIAL International u Bosni i Hercegovini and Human Rights Action published "The Witness at the Center of the Proceedings", a handbook focusing on the needs, support and protection of witnesses in war crimes proceedings.

🔎 A new article by Biljana Nikolić looks at the situation in Montenegro and what can be learned from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s experience.

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As judicial services are still in their infancy, civil society organizations currently play a key role in providing direct, practical and psychosocial support.

22/04/2026

🇬🇲 🇨🇭 Week 3 of the appeal in the Ousman Sonko case before the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland concluded the proceedings. It consisted of the pleadings of all parties, with the defendant addressing the court on the last day.

The oral judgement will be read out at a later date.

Read more 👉

Our recap of the third and last week of the appeal trial of Ousman Sonko, which took place from 14 to 16 April 2026 in Switzerland.

21/04/2026

🚨 Publication: UJAR 2026

TRIAL International, in collaboration with Civitas Maxima, the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights e.V. (ECCHR), the FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights and REDRESS, published the latest edition of the Universal Jurisdiction Annual Review (UJAR).

⚖️ The 2026 compiles developments in 91 extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction cases prosecuted in 20 countries. The figures, increasing year by year, show the growing importance of universal jurisdiction in the fight against impunity worldwide.

The UJAR 2026 was researched and written by UpRights. It is produced as part of the “Global Initiative against Impunity for International Crimes and Serious Human Rights Violations: Making Justice Work” (GIAI). It has been produced with the financial support of the Ville de Genève, the European Union, Oak Foundation and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy.

More information and to read and download UJAR 2026 👉 https://trialinternational.org/latest-post/universal-jurisdiction-annual-review-new-developments-in-2025/

🎨 The artwork featured on the cover is part of a series of court sketches created by Augustin Guichot for TRIAL International during the trial of former Congolese rebel leader Roger Lumbala, which took place in Paris from 12 November to 19 December 2025.

17/04/2026

🚨 Procès en appel d’Ousman Sonko : retour sur 2 semaines d’audience

Pendant deux semaines à Bellinzone, en Suisse, la Cour d’appel du Tribunal pénal fédéral a examiné le recours d’Ousman Sonko, ancien ministre de l’Intérieur gambien condamné en 2024 pour crimes contre l’humanité.

👉 Semaine 1 : les enjeux juridiques au cœur des débats : https://trialinternational.org/fr/latest-post/proces-en-appel-dousman-sonko-premiere-semaine/

👉 Semaine 2 : la parole de l’accusé : https://trialinternational.org/fr/latest-post/proces-en-appel-dousman-sonko-semaine-2/

💬 Pour les plaignant·e·s, ce procès représente une nouvelle opportunité de faire entendre leur voix. Au-delà des débats juridiques et de l’audition de l’accusé, ce sont leurs témoignages qui ont profondément marqué les audiences.

15/04/2026

🚨 🇨🇭 La procédure d'appel s'est ouverte le 30 mars dernier, et continue encore aujourd'hui en Suisse, dans l'affaire contre l'ancien ministre de l'Intérieur gambien Ousman Sonko.

Le jugement rendu en 2024 est contesté par toutes les parties.

Alors que la défense conteste la condamnation dans son intégralité, tant le ministère public que les plaignant·e·s font appel de certains aspects spécifiques du jugement.

🇬🇲 Cinq plaignant·e·s ont fait le déplacement depuis la Gambie pour assister aux audiences.

Retrouver l'article sur notre site web :

Appeal trial of former Gambian interior minister Ousman Sonko for crimes against humanity will open in Switzerland on 30 March 2026.