Today, March 8, 2018, the International Criminal Court rendered its Appeals Judgments in three cases: Bemba, Al Mahdi and Katanga.
The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido
Jean-Pierre Bemba ©Michael Kooren/AFP/Getty Images
In the Bemba case, the Appeals Chamber issued in judgments on the appeals against verdict and sentence. All five accused had appealed against their conviction, and all five appeals were rejected by the Appeals Chamber. Convictions were confirmed, but the charge of presenting evidence that a party knows is false or forged of which Mr Bemba, Mr Kilolo and Mr Mangenda were acquitted on the basis that this provision only applies to the presentation of documentary evidence, not to the calling of witnesses.