Germany’s top criminal court on Friday rejected an appeal by Bai Lowe, a former Gambian soldier, convicted over a string of politically motivated killings in the Gambia.

Bai Lowe was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Gambian death squad known as the Junglers, which was tasked with carrying out illegal killings on the orders of former dictator Yahya Jammeh.

A regional court in the northern German city of Celle last year found Lowe guilty of crimes against humanity, murder and attempted murder, but the Gambian appealed against the decision.

After considering Lowe’s objections, the federal court of justice in Karlsruhe said it had rejected the appeal and confirmed the hitman’s life sentence.

The federal court said it did not find “any fundamental procedural errors” or “any legal error” in the original trial.

Lowe was found to have participated in crimes including the killing of AFP correspondent Deyda Hydara, who was gunned down in his car on the outskirts of Banjul on December 16, 2004.

Lowe was found guilty of acting as a driver for the Junglers and helping to stop Hydara’s car on the night of the murder.

Hydara was an editor and co-founder of the independent daily The Point and a correspondent for AFP for over 30 years.

As well as having a role in Hydara’s death, Lowe was said to have been involved in the attempted assassination of lawyer Ousman Sillah and the murder of former Gambian soldier Dawda Nyassi.

Lowe emigrated to Germany in 2012, saying he was seeking asylum as a political refugee who feared for his life under Jammeh.

In 2013, Lowe gave a detailed interview to a US-based Gambian radio station, in which he described his participation in the Junglers.

A transcript of the conversation would become a key piece of evidence for prosecutors during Lowe’s trial.

Lowe was eventually arrested in March 2021 in Germany, where his trial was held under “universal jurisdiction”.

The legal principle, espoused by German courts, allows a foreign country to prosecute crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, regardless of where they were committed.

(AFP)