The Gambian government says it is ready to put former dictator Yahya Jammeh on trial for a myriad of crimes committed between 1994 and 2017.

The decision to prosecute Jammeh followed recommendations submitted in November 2021 by a commission that investigated the period.

The 57-year-old former autocrat lives in exile in Equatorial Guinea and there is no extradition agreement between the two countries.

Gambian Justice Minister Dawda Jallow announced at a ceremony the creation of a special prosecution office, and the government’s intention to establish a court within the existing system. “This court will be established in The Gambia, with the option of holding hearings in other jurisdictions.”

The commission, which heard 393 damning or distressing testimonies from victims and alleged perpetrators, found that between 240 and 250 people died at the hands of the state and its agents under Jammeh.

The commission’s report called for Yahya Jammeh and 69 others, all men, to be held to account.