On June 16, the trial resumed with the testimony of Witness 15 who explained to the Court that he had given the Office of the Prosecutor a false statement. Judge Fulford stated that his statement will be taken again by someone not working on the Lubanga trial.

On Wednesday Roberto Garreton, a Chilean lawyer and former United Nations special envoy on human rights in the DRC, told the Court that child soldiers were widely used in the DRC and that the general public there was not aware that the use of child soldiers is condemned by the international community.

Mr. Garreton continued his testimony on Thursday explaining that soldiers in the DRC are “allowed to whatever,” including raping women. “In 2005, a group of 14 soldiers left their barracks and raped 200 women. It’s a culture based on the needs of the military,” he told the Court.

Most of Friday’s proceedings were held in closed sessions as a protected witness known as number 89 testified; he explained that the UPC was referred to as “Thomas’s group.”

This post was created by Kate Davey through sourcing from the reporting of Rachel Irwin for lubangatrial.org