Africa News
Defence states its case in former Congo rebel leader's trial
Jan 27, 2010, 15:32 GMT
The Hague - Lawyers for former Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga Dyilo on Wednesday began presenting their case before the International Criminal Court (ICC) where he is standing trial for war crimes.
Lubanga, 48, is facing six counts of recruiting and using children as soldiers in the final years of the bloody civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The prosecution presented its case to the court in The Hague in July, alleging that Lubanga created an entire infrastructure around child soldiers during war between 1998 and 2003.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Lubanga was arrested in the Congolese capital Kinshasa in 2005 and has has been in the custody of the ICC since March 2006.
A year ago, he became the first suspect to stand trial at the ICC - the world's first permanent tribunal authorized to deal with serious war crimes and crimes against humanity.
On Tuesday, the court resumed proceedings in its second ongoing case involving two other former rebels commanders from the DR Congo.
COMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in Africa
- 1. Several dead in car bombing in northern Nigeria
- 2. Mogadishu blast kills seven, including sports chiefs
- 3. Seven dead in Mogadishu suicide bomb attack
- 4. ANC suspends Youth League leader with immediate effect
- 5. Police arrest Uganda's opposition leader and others at protest march
Older Talkback
