Press Release: 25 June 2014

Defence and Prosecution discontinue respective appeals against judgment in Katanga case

ICC-CPI-20140625-PR1021

Situation: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Case: The Prosecutor v. Germain Katanga


Today, 25 June 2014, the Defence for Germain Katanga and the Office of the Prosecutor both discontinued their appeals against the judgment of Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) of 7 March 2014 in the case The Prosecutor v. Germain Katanga. The judgment is now final.

On 7 March 2014, Trial Chamber II, ruling in the majority, found Germain Katanga guilty of one count of crimes against humanity and four counts of war crimes and sentenced him on 23 May 2014 to a total sentence of 12 years imprisonment.

Today, 25 June 2014, the Defence notified the Appeals Chamber that Germain Katanga had decided to discontinue his appeal and that Germain Katanga accepted the judgment of the Court and its conclusions on its role as well as his conduct. Germain Katanga also indicated that he decided not to appeal against the imposed sentence. The Prosecutor subsequently informed the Appeals Chamber that she also discontinued her appeal against the judgment and that she does not intend to appeal the sentence imposed on Germain Katanga.  

Trial Chamber II shall consider the possibility of reparations to victims of the crimes for which Germain Katanga was convicted. The decision of the judges on these issues will be taken in due course.

Background: On 7 March 2014, Trial Chamber II (then composed of Judges Bruno Cotte, Fatoumata Dembele Diarra, and Christine Van den Wyngaert) found German Katanga guilty, as an accessory, within the meaning of article 25(3)(d) of the Rome Statute, of one count of crime against humanity (murder) and four counts of war crimes (murder, attacking a civilian population, destruction of property and pillaging) committed on 24 February 2003 during the attack on the village of Bogoro, in the Ituri district of the DRC. The Chamber acquitted Germain Katanga of the other charges that he was facing. The Prosecutor and the Defence then appealed the judgment. On 23 May 2014, Trial Chamber II sentenced Germain Katanga to a total of 12 years' imprisonment. The Chamber also ordered that the time spent in detention at the ICC – between 18 September 2007 and 23 May 2014 – be deducted from his sentence. Decisions on victims’ reparations will be rendered later.

Defence Notice of Discontinuance of Appeal against the ‘Jugement rendu en application de l’article 74 du Statut’ rendered by Trial Chamber II on 7 April 2014

Notice of Discontinuance of the Prosecution’s Appeal against the Article 74 Judgment of Conviction of Trial Chamber II dated 7 March 2014 in relation to Germain Katanga 


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