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Court acknowledges crimes against humanity committed in Mutarule, DRC

The massacre committed in 2014 against the village of Mutarule, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been acknowledged to be a crime against humanity.

However, none of the defendants were convicted for crimes against humanity.

“One was acquitted. Another, Mr.Sheria, the alleged leader of an armed group, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for illegal possession of war weapons – but not for his direct involvement in the massacre of 6 June, which according to the Court has not been proven. The third defendant was Major Kayumba, a representative of the Congolese army, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violation of orders,” said TRIAL International’s website.

The South Kivu Military court gave its verdict this month after hearings took place in August 2016 – with close to a hundred victims participating in the trial.

Since Major Kayumba’s inaction led to the massacre, the court ruled that the state would be required to pay compensation to all victims.

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