Verdict to be delivered in ICC Bemba et al. case on 19 October 2016: Practical information

Situation: Central African Republic
Case: The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido

The verdict in the case The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido will be delivered by Trial Chamber VII of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday 19 October 2016 at 14:30 (The Hague local time), during a public hearing at the seat of the Court in The Hague (Netherlands). The Chamber has ordered the accused to be present at the hearing. The sentence would be pronounced at a later stage, only if the accused would be found guilty. Trial Chamber VII is composed of Judge Bertram Schmitt, presiding, Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, and Judge Raul C. Pangalangan.

Background: Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido are accused of offences against the administration of justice allegedly committed in connection with the case The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, consisting of corruptly influencing witnesses before the ICC and presenting evidence that they knew to be false or forged. Their trial opened on 29 September 2015 before Trial Chamber VII. On 29 April 2016, the Chamber closed the submission of evidence in the case and the trial's closing oral statements took place on 31 May-1 June 2016. Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido are appearing voluntarily before the Court as they were granted interim release on 21 October 2014. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo is in ICC custody in relation to the other case against him.

For more information on this case, click here

Order Scheduling the Delivery of the Judgment

Webstreaming of the hearing

The proceedings can be followed on the ICC website at: http://player.cdn.tv1.eu/statics/66005/icc.html

Attending the hearing

• Members of the diplomatic corps, NGOs and other members of the public can request attendance via email to:[email protected] Attendees must present a valid passport or valid ID with a photo at the main entrance of the Court (at: Oude Waalsdorperweg 10, 2597 AK The Hague).

• Journalists wishing to cover the hearing can request accreditation via email to: [email protected].All journalists must present a valid press card, and a valid passport or valid ID with a photo, at the main entrance of the Court (at: Oude Waalsdorperweg 10, 2597 AK The Hague).

Please note that individuals who do not confirm their attendance in advance cannot be guaranteed access to the hearings. In order to avoid delays in accessing the building, those attending are advised to arrive one hour before the hearings start.

ICC Media Centre

For media representatives wishing to use the Court's media facilities, the Media Centre will open at 08:30.

The ICC Media Centre is located in the building's 'Court Tower'. It is composed of hot desk areas, which can sit up to 104 people, and two interview rooms.

The Media Centre distributes the video and embedded audio of the hearing, via HD-SDI with a female BNC connection. Journalists wishing to connect to this should bring compatible equipment and a BNC cable. Power is provided (European plug).

Wi-Fi connection is available in the Media Centre.

AV materials

Filming or photography is strictly prohibited inside the Court building, apart from the interview rooms in the Media Centre.

Images of the hearing will be available for download on an FTP server in video (MPEG-4) and audio (MPEG-3) format, and for viewing on the official ICC YouTube Channel. For information on audio-visual matters, please contact Violeta Willemsen-Curcic, Head of Audio-Visual Production Unit, at +31 (0)70 515-8422 or at [email protected]

Parking facilities

Media representatives can use the ICC's Visitor Parking.

SNG vehicles

The ICC Parking includes an area for SNG vehicles. BNC connections are available and the video format is HD-SDI with embedded Audio (8 dual mono pairs): Channel 1 – Floor language (international audio); Channel 2 - English interpretation; Channel 3 - French interpretation; Channel 4 - 8 - Other languages, or if no interpretation then Floor language will be sent.

For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail at: [email protected].

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