Trial Updates
Why we care
The Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court at The Hague, may offer the strongest protection measures for child soldiers. Under Article 8(2)(b)(xxvi), conscripting or enlisting children under the age of fifteen or using them to participate in hostilities is defined as a war crime. The first case to be tried at the International Criminal Court is that of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who is being tried for enlisting and conscripting children and using them in armed conflicts. Lubanga was the head of the Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC) during the conflict in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from 1999 to 2003, and has been accused of having as many as 30,000 boys and girls serving under him.
For more information on Thomas Lubanga, please see this background report at Lubangatrial.org.
About our work
Director of Research Projects Kate Davey has been covering the Lubanga Trial since it began in February 2009. Since then, she has written more than thirty reports and trial updates focusing in particular on child soldier issues. She also has written 2 reports analyzing child soldiers topics discussed during the Charles Taylor Trial. Her reports focus on critical issues including rape of girl soldiers and girls forced to be “wives”, the issue of paid or false testimony, courtroom security and ensuring adequate witness protection. Other issues Kate has covered in her reporting include the July 2010 order to release of Lubanga (and subsequent reversal of that decision), discussion to broaden the definition of child soldier to include ‘child associated with armed groups’ and cultural acceptance of child participation in armed groups in DRC.
Reports are organized by date and are as follows:
Lubanga Trial Concludes
The trial of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo concluded in August and on October 26, the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Sang-Hyun Song told the U.N. General Assembly that a judgment should come by the end of the year. Lubanga is charged with conscripting, enlisting, and using child soldiers and is the first person to be tried by the ICC. Source: [...]
Read More...Lubanga Trial: December and February in Review
In December … On December 1, ‘witness 598′ testified in a closed session, although it is thought that the witness testified about the “climate of fear” in Bunia among those who are publicly known to have cooperated with the ICC. After this testimony, the Trial Chamber heard the defense’s request for a dismissal of trial [...]
Read More...Lubanga Trial: November in Review
Court was held in closed session from November 1 through November 5 as the defense stated it would not be able to question witness known as ‘intermediary 321’ in a public session as he would be asked about several people whose identities are unprotected. From November 8 through November 12, ‘intermediary 316’ was asked whether [...]
Read More...Lubanga Trial: October in Review
After being delayed for almost a month, the Lubanga trial resumed on Monday, October 25, 2010 with the testimony of a field liaison for the Court’s Office of the Prosecutor. When Defense attorney Catherine Mabille questioned whether the witness had been informed by MONUC that Mr. X (an intermediary for the Court) had made a [...]
Read More...
Find Us on Facebook