The International Criminal Court is due to sentence Congolese politician Jean-Pierre Bemba on Tuesday, after a landmark case that focussed on rape committed by troops under his command as a crime against humanity.
Prosecutors have called for a minimum 25 year sentence to be handed down after a three-judge panel convicted Mr Bemba in March of this year. He was found guilty of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the court ruling he had "failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent" troops under his command from committing murder and rape.
Carrie Comer from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) told AFP,
"It's really important that the court recognise the command responsibility... and there's an opportunity here to provide a deterrent."
"If you knew, or you should have known, that these things were going on and you execute effective control over your troops then, yes, you're absolutely responsible for ... not preventing or punishing these crimes."
See more here.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
