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The case of Prosecutor v Jean-Pierre Bemba rises from the legal proceedings against Mr. Jean-Pierre Bemba, following an operation conducted during 2002-2003 by the Movement of the Liberation of Congo, which is actually lead by Mr. Bemba, allegedly with the purpose of overthrowing the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. During the opening speeches, both benches brought up some of the most important facts presented in their memorandums, and sent accusations towards each-other, mostly based on who is actually responsible for crimes that have been committed and were brought up so far.
Next up, during the presentation of the evidence, the prosecution brought up many UN investigations, with the main focus on one that basically states that the Movement of the Liberation of Congo forced 110.000 thousand people out of their homes. The bench of the defense countered that claim, stating that the lack of information regarding the victim list is suspicious, and therefore can’t be considered as valid evidence. Afterward, the defense struck with a notebook of the communications between the troops and the commander of the activity, the notebook proving Mr. Bemba is not responsible for the heinous acts, because he was not the one that was contacted through the notebook.
After a long round of difficult questions brought up by the judges, the witnesses were brought in. The first witness brought out their own personal experience in regards to the acts allegedly committed by the Movement of the Liberation of Congo, stating that they found it insanely hurtful, and were saddened to witness the heinous crimes.
Finally, it came to the rebuttal phase, the final way for the advocates to present their case. Advocate 3 of the Defense made sure to address the legal implication accusation brought up by the Prosecution, by proving that the Rome Statue of the ICC was not broken, and that he had no relation to the acts brought up by the opposing bench. In the surrebuttal, the Prosecution claimed that just because Mr. Bemba didn’t give an order, it doesn’t mean that he had no knowledge of the alleged crimes. As this stage of the trial is over, it is now only in the hands of the judges to decide whether Mr. Bemba is guilty or innocent.
Now, as a conclusion, we have taken a short interview of the Advocate 2 of Defense, in order to see their perspective on the outcome of the trial.
Q: What is your opinion regarding the outcome of the trial?
A: I personally believe that everything was completely fair, all of the points that were brought up by the advocates were very well-thought and developed.
Q: What measures will be taken in regards to the fact that Mr. Bemba’s career had to suffer from the prosecution’s terrible accusations, if he was found innocent?
A: We will do the best we can in order to make sure that all the damages that Mr. Bemba had to suffer will be remunerated, and that his reputation as the leader of the Movement of the Liberation of Congo will be restored.
Q: A short final question: Do you believe that the judges will reach a proper conclusion with the Judgement?
A: Yes, I believe that the judges, will all the facts that were presented, will reach a proper conclusion to the trial, hopefully for the benefit of our client.
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