Africa-Press – Uganda. Defence lawyers for jailed Dominic Ongwen, a former commander of the Lord Resistance Army (LRA), have protested against the ruling of the Appeals Chambers of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that upheld the 25-year jail term handed to their client for his role in the two-decade insurgency in northern region.
The defence lawyers at the weekend criticised ICC for failing to acknowledge the health status of Ongwen as a central issues in his appeal.
They also accused the global court of not having wholly attributed the insurgency to its rebel leader Joseph Kony.
“The defence of Mr Ongwen is disappointed with the judgment of the Appeal Chamber of the ICC confirming his conviction and sentence of 25 years on December 15. The defence believes that justice does not end with a conviction and sentence,” the statement by Ongwen’s lawyers reads in part.
“The failure to accord appropriate recognition of the victim and health status of Ongwen is a tacit repudiation of the victim and health status of child soldiers worldwide who may be suffering or experiencing similar violations from which Ongwen and several child soldiers in northern Uganda who did not participate in this case and may still be hoping for justice against Joseph Kony, suffered” they add.
Resilient
His lawyers further said Ongwen will continue to fight for his rights and that the court has no final say on his matter.
“As a result, the defence will continue to fight for justice for Mr Ongwen until he regains his freedom and return home to his country to participate in national healing, reconciliation and with the help and support of his community, like his fellow victims and thousands who were granted amnesty, reclaim his lost humanity and his ancestral cultural and religious values,” the lawyers state.
On Thursday last week, the Appeal Chambers upheld the earlier decision of the Trial Chamber that had found Ongwen guilty of 61 crimes comprising crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed in northern Uganda between July 1 2002 and December 31, 2005, and sentenced him to 25 years of imprisonment.
The Appeals Chamber rejected the 90 grounds of appeal that Ongwen had raised in which he had claimed he was not criminally liable for the war in northern Uganda.
In their statement, Ongwne’s lawyers said he is hopeful that the court decision is not determinative of the matter and that God willing, he will have an opportunity to undergo the justice and healing process of his people and will join them to foster the quest for an enduring peace and reconciliation in his community.
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