In June 2018, by majority of 3-2, the ICC Appeals Chamber similarly acquitted Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, a former Vice President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), from the charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Central African Republic (CAR).
These developments should prove to sceptics that the ICC is a serious Court composed of independent judges, who may disagree with their fellow judges. The ICC is not a kangaroo court that is just there to convict.
Eric-Aimé Siemen, President of the Ivorian Observatory of Human Rights (OIDH) had this to say:
‘This is a historic decision, and we applaud the courage of the judges in rendering a decision that reflects what we observed during the trial. The prosecution has once again failed victims and truth seekers. It seems the prosecution focuses first on individuals, instead of the facts’. |