NETHERLANDS: The International Criminal Court acquits Congolese militia leader Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, finding him not guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity

Record ID: 861322

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: The International Criminal Court acquits Congolese militia leader Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, finding him not guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity
  • Date: 18th December 2012
  • Summary: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS (DECEMBER 18, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT WINDOWS OF COURTHOUSE BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Netherlands
  • City:
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA6R1HUQGS9L8TSL9799F7XSLTH
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  • Story Text: Congolese militia leader Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui was acquitted at the Hague war crimes court on Tuesday (December 18), after prosecutors failed to prove he ordered atrocities in eastern Congo a decade ago.
    Ngudjolo was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including overseeing killings, rape and pillage, but the International Criminal Court (ICC) found him not guilty of order the killings during a war in Ituri district in 2003.
    The ICC judges said prosecution witnesses who testified to Ngudjolo's involvement were not credible.
    Presiding judge Bruno Cotte said atrocities had undoubtedly been committed during the conflict but said prosecutors had failed to tie them to Ngudjolo.

    "The chamber finds that there are no exceptional circumstances in this particular case and can only observe that the office of the prosecution has been unable to justify the existence of such circumstances. On these grounds, the chamber dismisses the application for continued detention," Cotte said.
    Ngudjolo's prosecutors will appeal the verdict.
    Although the court said Ngudjolo should be freed in the meantime, it was not immediately clear that he could leave the ICC detention facility for now.

    "Right now? We don't know yet. In any case, the prosecutor's application to keep him (Ngudjolo) in detention has been rejected. We have to carry out the court's decision but we don't yet know the details," said defence lawyer Jean-Pierre Kilenda Kaengi Basila when asked where Ngudjolo would go.
    After the court session a black-windowed van drove Ngudjolo back to the detention centre in the Hague, where he is expected to stay at least until tomorrow.
    Ngudjolo remains under a United Nations travel ban dating from his indictment.
    The Netherlands, where he has been detained since 2008, is not obliged to take him in from prison. A Congo government spokesman said he saw no reason for Congo not to take Ngudjolo back, but suggested it may wait until after the appeal.
    Legal experts said it was unlikely the acquittal would be overturned because new evidence cannot be introduced at appeal. Appeals panels rarely reassess the credibility of witnesses.
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