The testimony of the last prosecution witness in the Jean-Pierre Bemba trial will be heard from next Wednesday, not today, as had earlier been scheduled. Going by the pseudonym ‘Witness 36,’ this witness will testify via video link from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Court officials said “the witness was not ... Continue reading
February
20
2012
Last Prosecution Witness in Bemba Trial to Testify Wednesday
The last of 40 witnesses for International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors in the trial of Congolese opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba will commence his testimony on Wednesday, February 22, 2012. The unnamed witness, who will testify via video link from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), had been scheduled to start giving ... Continue reading
February
10
2012
Seven Victims Apply to Testify Against Bemba
Seven victims have submitted statements to judges in support of their applications to give oral testimony in the trial of Congolese opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba. The applicants are some of the more than 2,000 victims participating in the trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC). The defense and the prosecution had up to yesterday to ... Continue reading
A former insider in the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) currently testifying against the group’s leader Jean-Pierre Bemba today continued giving evidence – all of it closed to the public. Like the preceding witness, also formerly a senior member in the group founded and led by the accused, none of his evidence will ... Continue reading
February
8
2012
New Prosecution Witness Gives All Evidence in Closed Session
The prosecution in the war crimes trial of former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba today called its 39th witness, who judges permitted to give all evidence in closed session. At the start of proceedings this morning, Presiding Judge Sylvia Steiner announced that “the whole testimony of Witness 15 will take place in closed session” in ... Continue reading
February
7
2012
Bemba Trial Continues in Closed Session
The war crimes trial of Jean-Pierre Bemba at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday continued to hear the testimony of ‘Witness 44.’ As has been the case since he first took the stand last Friday, the witness testified entirely in closed session. The witness was formerly an insider in the Movement for the Liberation ... Continue reading
February
6
2012
Upcoming Prosecution Witness to Testify Via Video link
Trial judges have granted an application by prosecutors to hear the evidence of one of their two outstanding witnesses in Jean-Pierre Bemba’s trial via video link from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In a February 3, 2012 ruling, Judges Sylvia Steiner, Joyce Aluoch, and Kuniko Ozaki stated that the reasons that prevented ‘Witness 36’ ... Continue reading
February
3
2012
Witness Says Bemba Disregarded Advice to Try Unruly Soldiers
The trial of Jean-Pierre Bemba at the International Criminal Court (ICC) resumed this week following a break of more than a month. The two witnesses who testified both were supposedly members of his group and provided testimony that indicated that the accused was aware of the crimes his soldiers were committing but remained reluctant to ... Continue reading
February
3
2012
MLC Insider Will Give All Evidence in Private Session
The 38th witness called by prosecutors in the war crimes trial of Jean-Pierre Bemba at the International Criminal Court (ICC) is giving all his testimony in closed session. Before the witness appeared in court today, Presiding Judge Sylvia Steiner announced that following a confidential ruling issued this morning, the evidence of ‘Witness 44’ “will be ... Continue reading
