Hearing concerning the protection of victims in DRC

Situation: Democratic Republic of the Congo

On the 14th of June 2005, PTC I issued a decision convening a hearing on the 8th of July 2005 concerning the protection of victims in the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A subsequent order was issued on the 5th July 2005 in order to prepare the hearing. At the request of the participants at the hearing, and in light of the express acquiescence by the Prosecutor and the ad hoc counsel for the Defence, the Chamber decided in an oral decision rendered on 8th July 2005 that the matters to be dealt with and the need to provide for the protection of the participants required the hearing to be held in closed session. The same reasons required that the full content of the above-mentioned decisions not be made public at this stage.