ICC overturns war crimes conviction of Jean-Pierre Bemba

Presiding judge Christine Van den Wijngaert said on Friday that Bemba could not be held responsible for atrocities carried out by troops under his control in the neighbouring Central African Republic, and that trial judges had failed to consider the efforts he made to stop crimes once he became aware of them.

Bemba was sentenced to 18 years in prison in June 2016 for alleged crimes, including murder and rape, in what was described as a landmark ruling after a five-year trial.

Judges in the earlier trial said Bemba had failed to stop a series of “sadistic and cruel” rapes and murders by his militia, known as the MLC.

He later got an extra year and a fine for attempting to interfere with witnesses in his trial.

“Mr Bemba cannot be held criminally responsible for the crimes committed by MLC troops during the Central African Republic operation,” Van den Wijngaert said, reading the ruling of a 5-judge appeal panel.

Van den Wijngaert said Bemba’s efforts to stop the crimes “extinguished his responsibility in full”.

Lambert Mende, a spokesperson for the DRC’s government, said Bemba has the right to return home once he is released.

“There’s not even any question over it,” Mende told Reuters news agency.

“Do you know of any other country where a Congolese citizen is supposed to live? All Congolese are free to live in DRC.”