In a landmark decision utilizing Europe’s universal jurisdiction, a Swiss court on Wednesday found a former Gambian government minister guilty of crimes against humanity committed under former dictator Yahya Jammeh. It sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Ousman Sonko was convicted guilty of multiple counts of deliberate killing, torture, and false detention by the Federal Criminal Court. The former interior minister of the Gambia, Sonko, was cleared of any charges of sexual assault in 2016.

“The trial chamber found Ousman Sonko guilty of multiple counts of intentional homicide, multiple counts of torture and multiple counts of deprivation of liberty, each as a crime against humanity,” the court said in a statement.

“The trial chamber concludes that Ousman Sonko committed these crimes…. as part of a systematic attack against the civilian population.”

Using universal jurisdiction, which enables the prosecution of the most serious crimes anywhere, Sonko is the highest-ranking official to ever be tried by a European nation. The campaign organization TRIAL International, located in Geneva, backed the plaintiffs when they launched the initial complaint against Sonko.

While criticizing his seven-year pre-trial imprisonment, which he claimed included some time in solitary confinement, Sonko refuted the allegations and charged the plaintiffs with lying.

Jammeh and Sonko had a falling out during the last few months of the dictator’s 22-year totalitarian reign, which came to an end in January 2017 when the leader was forced to leave to exile in Equatorial Guinea following an electoral setback.  Sonko was detained in Switzerland in the same month he applied for asylum.

Using universal jurisdiction, which enables the prosecution of the most serious crimes anywhere, Sonko is the highest-ranking official to ever be tried by a European nation.

The campaign organization TRIAL International, located in Geneva, backed the plaintiffs when they launched the initial complaint against Sonko.

While criticizing his seven-year pre-trial imprisonment, which he claimed included some time in solitary confinement, Sonko refuted the allegations and charged the plaintiffs with lying.

Jammeh and Sonko had a falling out during the last few months of the dictator’s 22-year totalitarian reign, which came to an end in January 2017 when the leader was forced to leave to exile in Equatorial Guinea following an electoral setback.

Sonko was detained in Switzerland in the same month he applied for asylum. Meanwhile, the public prosecutor in Switzerland had requested the maximum sentence of life in jail.

“The conviction of Ousman Sonko, one of the pillars of Yahya Jammeh’s brutal regime, is a major step on the long road to justice for Jammeh’s victims,” Reed Brody, a war crimes prosecutor attending the trial, told Reuters.

“The long arm of the law is catching up with Yahya Jammeh’s accomplices all around the world, and hopefully will soon catch up with Jammeh himself,” he said.

The Bellinzona court heard details of crimes allegedly committed between 2000 and 2016 by Sonko or under his supervision between January and March. This is Switzerland’s second-ever civilian prosecution for crimes against humanity.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a measure into law on Wednesday that promises to offer universal health coverage, hailing it as a significant step towards a more equitable society, two weeks before a fiercely competitive election.

The National Health Insurance (NHI) Act aspires to create a two-tier health system, with a publicly financed sector serving 84% of the population and private insurance providing access to better treatment.

Opponents have pledged to challenge it in court and labelled it as a ploy for votes, which the presidency disputed, ahead of an election in which the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is trying to keep its legislative majority after 30 years.

The legislation will gradually reduce the role of private insurance, establish a new public fund to give free access to South African people, and regulate the fees and prices that private doctors and healthcare providers can charge for NHI-funded benefits.

“The provision of healthcare in this country is fragmented, unsustainable and unacceptable,” said Ramaphosa, framing the legislation as a solution to inequalities that date back to the apartheid era.

“For those who would like to see (their) privileges continuing, sorry, you are on the wrong boat. The boat we are on is about equality,” he said at a signing ceremony at the Union Buildings, the seat of government in Pretoria.

Opponents argue that the plan will deplete already-strained public funds, limit patient choice, lower care quality, and drive talented doctors out of the nation.

According to industry and political commentators, the legislation is expected to be mired in litigation for years, with the funding model being the most contentious issue. The government has stated that the National Treasury will select the NHI’s funding sources, which will include an obligatory pre-payment system and other forms of levies.

Big local health insurers, such as Discovery Momentum Metropolitan Health and AfroCentric, say they support universal health coverage but disagree with the proposed funding approach.

“There is no funding plan yet and given the country’s constrained fiscal position, low economic growth and narrow tax base, this can only be solved in the longer term,” said Adrian Gore, group CEO of Discovery.

“We see no scenario in which there is sufficient funding for a workable and comprehensive NHI in its current form.”