Swiss court upholds Kosiah's 20-year war crimes sentence
Former ULIMO commander Alieu Kosiah will serve 20 years for atrocities in Lofa County during Liberia's civil war.
Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court has confirmed a 20-year prison sentence for former ULIMO commander Alieu Kosiah for war crimes committed in Liberia's Lofa County between 1993 and 1995. The ruling upholds the conviction for acts including killing civilians, rape, and using child soldiers, making it the first war crimes conviction by a Swiss civilian court and the first for a Liberian national for civil war atrocities.
The court acquitted Kosiah of crimes against humanity, a charge added by an appeals chamber in 2023, stating the relevant Swiss law was not in effect at the time of the crimes. This acquittal does not alter his 20-year sentence, the maximum allowed under Swiss law, nor his eventual expulsion from Switzerland. Alain Werner of Civitas Maxima, representing victims, welcomed the final conviction but expressed disappointment over the acquittal.
Kosiah, who settled in Switzerland in the late 1990s, has been detained since his arrest in November 2014 following a complaint by Liberian victims. Survivors traveled from Liberia to testify against him during the investigation and trials. The case was supported by the Liberian organization Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), which has helped secure five convictions in six trials linked to Liberia's civil wars.
Why it mattersLiberians who suffered atrocities during the civil war have received final justice after a 30-year wait.