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| Dominic Ongwen, a senior commander in Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), looks on at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. – Copyright © PETER DEJONG/AFP |
On Monday, Ugandan former warlord Dominic Ongwen will be heard by the appeal chamber of the International Criminal court.
The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will hear on the Ogwen case, the Defence appeals against verdict and sentence
Dominic Ongwen was convicted in May 2021. He was a commander of the guerrilla group called Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). He was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment for murder, rape and sexual enslavement.
Ongwen’s lawyers have raised 90 grounds of appeal against the verdict and about 10 against the sentence, citing “legal, factual and procedural errors” by the court.
The ICC said in a statement the appeal brought against the conviction was “the largest ever considered by the chamber”.
Dominic Ongwen maintained his innocence refering to his troubled past. Indeed, as a child he was abducted by the Lord’s Resitance Army group and brutalized.
The LRA was founded by self-styled prophet Joseph Kony, who launched a dealdy rebellion in northern Uganda against President Museveni. The two-decade-long war between the LRA and the authorities killed thousands.
The sentencing of Dominic Ongwen was met with mixed reactions in Uganda, last year.
His hearing will be held on a virtual basis from February 14 to February 18.
