THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (BNO NEWS) — The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday sentenced former Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo to 14 years in prison.
Lubanga Dyilo was found guilty on March 14 of conscripting and enlisting children under the age of 15 and using them to participate in hostilities in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from September 1, 2002 to August 13, 2003.
The ICC’s Presiding Judge, Adrian Fulford, said the sentence considered the gravity of the crimes and the damage caused, specifically, “the harm caused to the victims and their families, the nature of the unlawful behavior and the means employed to execute the crime; the degree of participation of the convicted person; the degree of intent; the circumstances of manner, time and location; and the age, education, social and economic condition of the convicted person.”
Fulford added that the “vulnerability of children mean that they need to be afforded particular protection that does not apply to the general population, as recognized in various international treaties.”
Nonetheless, Fulford said authorities took note of Lubanga’s cooperation with the Court and his respectful attitude throughout the proceedings. During the sentencing, the ICC’s Chamber also ordered that the time of Lubanga’s surrender to court authorities since March 16, 2006, until Tuesday be deducted from the sentence.
