By Esdrass Tsongo
The fate of former Vice President of Democratic Republic of Congo, Jean Pierre Bemba will be known Tuesday, June 12.
The International Criminal Court (ICC), announced that Trial Chamber VII will rule on the release of the former Vice President of the DRC.
Mr. Bemba is facing a war crime case committed in Central Africa Republic by troops under his command between 2002-2003. He was initially convicted and sentenced to 18 years in prison in June 2016 after a 5-year trial.
Judges found him guilty of failure to stop series of “sadistic and cruel” rapes and murders by his militia called the MLC.
But on Friday Appeals Chamber of the ICC, where he filed an appeal acquitted him of the war crimes.
The status conference will be held at the ICC’s headquarters at 11 am in the Hague, the body said in a statement issued after the hearing in which Bemba was acquitted.
Jean-Pierre Bemba remained in detention because of an extended 12 months sentence he bagged for attacks on the administration of justice.
Spokesperson for the DRC government, Lambert Mende told Reuters news agency that the former vice president has the right to return home once he is released.
“Do you know of any other country where a Congolese citizen is supposed to live? All Congolese are free to live in DRC,” he said
Political commentators believe that his exit from prison would likely change the political equation of Congolese politics, especially in the coming election.
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/01/30/conflict/kenya-raila-odinga-swears-self-peoples-president/
