Ntaganda Case: Opening of the confirmation of charges hearing is postponed
Situation: Situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Case: The Prosecutor v. Bosco Ntaganda
On 17 June 2013, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) postponed the confirmation of charges hearing in the case against Bosco Ntaganda to 10 February 2014 and established a calendar for the disclosure of evidence and related requests. The confirmation of charges hearing was initially scheduled to open on 26 September 2013.
On 23 May 2013, the Office of the Prosecutor filed an urgent request to postpone the date of the confirmation hearing alleging that the case had been dormant for “several years” and stating the need for additional time to complete numerous necessary tasks before the confirmation of charges hearing, including ensuring the witnesses’ protection and disclosing the evidence to the Defence in an effective way. The Single Judge, acting on behalf of the Chamber, held that in the circumstances of the present case, the Prosecutor’s request was justified and added that “where the suspect is evading justice for many years, it is neither possible nor reasonable to impose on the Prosecutor a permanent stand-by availability of the teams for years”.
On 22 March 2013, Bosco Ntaganda, Congolese citizen, surrendered himself voluntarily and is now in the ICC’s custody. The ICC issued two warrants of arrest for Bosco Ntaganda on 22 August 2006 and on 13 July 2012. As the former alleged Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Forces Patriotiques pour la Libération du Congo [Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo] (FPLC), Mr Ntaganda is suspected of seven counts of war crimes (enlistment of children under the age of 15, conscription of children under the age of 15, using children under the age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities, murder, attacks against the civilian population, rape and sexual slavery, and pillaging) and three counts of crimes against humanity (murder, rape and sexual slavery, and persecution) allegedly committed in Ituri (Democratic Republic of the Congo) between 1 September 2002 and the end of September 2003.
For further information on the case, click here.
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