NOTE FROM EDITOR: Below is an unofficial transcript of the opening statement of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo’s defense team today, presented by his lead counsel, Catherine Mabille. It seems clear the defense is going to take two tracks in the coming months: (1) challenge the truthfulness and integrity of prosecution witnesses, arguing that many of them were not in…
The prosecution’s case in the trial of accused Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga drew to a close this week with little of the fanfare that had marked its highly anticipated opening five months ago, on January 26. The final day of proceedings, on July 14, was conducted mostly in closed session as a protected witness…
Thomas Lubanga’s defense counsel on Wednesday challenged a former officer in the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) militia about the use of child soldiers and his statements that they were used as bodyguards. Under cross-examination by attorney Jean-Marie Biju-Duval, the witness said he was wary of answering in public, and asked often for the court…
Experts asked to establish the age of some former child soldier witnesses in the Lubanga trial admitted on Wednesday that the methods they used were not foolproof. Despite the admission, the experts told Thomas Lubanga’s attorney Marc Desalliers that the age-determination techniques were the most reliable that are currently in use. Dr. Caroline Rey-Salmon, a…
An age-determination expert said Tuesday that x-ray images taken of former child soldiers in the militia of accused Congolese leader Thomas Lubanga, indicate some were around the age of 15 years. According to the prosecution, the images were taken at the end of 2007 and in January 2008. This would suggest that the former child…
Thomas Lubanga on trial at the International Criminal Court. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo is the first person to be tried by the International Criminal Court. A former rebel leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lubanga is accused of conscripting, enlisting, and using child soldiers. More
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