THE HAGUE: (AFP) - The International Criminal Court on Monday upheld Congolese warlord Thomas Lubangas conviction for using child soldiers in his rebel army, handing down its first-ever appeals verdict.The Appeals Chamber by majority confirms the conviction decision and rejects the appeal, presiding judge Erkki Kourula said at the court based in The Hague.The ICC convicted Lubanga in March 2012 of war crimes, specifically for using minors in the conflict in the volatile eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.He was found guilty of abducting children as young as 11 from homes, schools or football fields and forcing them to fight and commit atrocities.Dressed in a traditional white African robe with blue embroidery, Lubanga listened intently as the verdict was being read.First convictionThe initial verdict marked the first-ever conviction at the ICC, the worlds only permanent war crimes tribunal, since it opened its doors more than a decade ago.The verdict was attended by Hollywood actress and campaigner against the recruitment of child soldiers, Angelina Jolie.Four months later, the former militia commander Lubanga, now 53, was sentenced to 14 years for his part in a war in the gold-rich northeastern Ituri region, where rights groups say some 60,000 civilians were killed between 1999 and 2006.Lubangas lawyers appealed both verdict and sentence, saying his right to a fair trial had been violated because prosecutors failed to disclose evidence in time that could have bolstered the defense case.ICC judges also failed to establish that soldiers younger than 15 were present in the military wing of Lubangas Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), his lawyers said, referring to video footage of alleged child soldiers.Dunya News Tv
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 19:44:30 +0000
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