War crimes
Bemba for war crimes sentenced
Murders, rapes and looting in the neighboring Central African Republic former Congolese Vice-President Bemba, was acquitted by the International criminal court is guilty.
More than five years after the start of the process, the former Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jean-Pierre Bemba by the International criminal court (ICC) has been spoken for war crimes. With killings and torture by him commanded militia in the Central African Bemba have also committed crimes against humanity, was now the in The Hague based court. The sentence is later to be announced.
Judge Sylvia Steiner said that Bemba was a “crime against humanity, and war crimes”. He had “during the entire duration of use, the military command and effective control over his troops in Central Africa”. The acts were intentional, whereby “the civilian population, the court found the master and not the was next to the target of the attacks,”.
Bloody trail of murder and destruction
The prosecution had put Bemba in your plea to war crimes and crimes against humanity, a burden that had been committed by his militia in 2002 and 2003. Soldiers of Bemba chiefs of the movement for the liberation of Congo (MLC) should then have in the Central African Republic many men, women and children, and killed and tortured. About 400 people are said to have been raped.
Helped with his militia in a coup in the neighbouring country, to knock down: Jean-Pierre Bemba before the verdict
About 1500 MLC militiamen were in October 2002, in the neighboring country invaded in order to help the then President Ange-Félix Patassé, a of General François Bozizé led a coup to knock down. Bozizé was from March 2003 up to the coup by Michel Djotodia in March 2013, head of state of the Central African Republic.
Bemba’s lawyers said in the process, the private militia of their clients have committed the deeds under Central African command. They called for Bemba an acquittal. Bemba was arrested in may 2008. The trial against 54-year-old businessman and politician in The Hague began in November 2010. Bemba faces life in prison.
SC/se (afp, epd, rtr)