The International Criminal Court sentenced Thursday Ugandan rebel leader Dominic Ongwen to 25 years of imprisonment.
He was found guilty for a total of 61 crimes comprising crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed in Northern Uganda between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2005.
The Trial Chamber was confronted with a perpetrator who himself had previously endured extreme suffering himself at the hands of the group of which he later became a prominent member and leader.
The Chamber decided to give certain weight in mitigation to the circumstances of Dominic Ongwen’s childhood, his abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) at a very young age, and his early stay with the LRA.
The Chamber declined to sentence Dominic Ongwen to life imprisonment, considering his individual circumstances, and to envisage a concrete prospect for Dominic Ongwen to eventually re-build his life.
The Chamber then, by the majority, decided to impose a joint sentence of 25 years of imprisonment.
The period of his detention between 4 January 2015 and 6 May 2021, will be deducted from the total time of imprisonment imposed on him.
The sentence may be appealed before the ICC Appeals Chamber by either party to the proceedings.
The Chamber also issued an order for submissions on reparations.
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