By Justice Hub
An historic moment at the International Criminal Court: on 1 December, the very first appeal judgement of the ICC took place in The Hague. Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga was – again – sentenced to 14 years of prison.
Lubanga was the first person sentenced by the ICC. The outcome was a victory for the Court, but the trial was marked by failures, unreliable intermediaries and investigations.
Lubanga was found guilty of enlisting and conscripting children into his army, the Patriotic Force for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC). This happened in the Ituri region in eastern Congo from 2002 to 2003. He acquitted on charges of sexual violence and murder.
Photo: Jerry Lampen/ANP
Photo: ICC