Jean-Pierre Bemba, former Congo Vice President gets 18 years in prison
- 8 years ago
Jean-Pierre Bemba, the former vice-president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for rape and pillage committed by his troops, becoming the highest-level official to be sentenced at the international criminal court.
Jean-Pierre Bemba, who ran unsuccessfully for the presidency of Congo in 2006, was jailed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Bemba was found guilty in March of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his private army – the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) – after he sent them into the neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR) from October 2002 to March 2003 to put down a coup.
Campaigners welcomed the lengthy prison term.
Jean-Pierre Bemba, who ran unsuccessfully for the presidency of Congo in 2006, was jailed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Bemba was found guilty in March of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his private army – the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) – after he sent them into the neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR) from October 2002 to March 2003 to put down a coup.
Campaigners welcomed the lengthy prison term.