ICC hands Ongwen 25 years in prison

By Ruth Anderah 

Former LRA commander Dominic Ongwen has been handed 25 years by the International Criminal court sitting in Hague. 

Judge Bertrum Schemit said the prosecutor asked for 20 Years imprisonment, victims’ representatives asked for life in prison while Ongwen through his defence attorney Chrispus Ayena asked court to consider the time he spent in detention or give him ten years in prison. 

However, the court did not consider Ongwen’s request to refer the matter to a traditional Acholi matoput court.

The judge has further emphasized that it did not consider the insanity defence of Ongwen saying he did not suffer any mental illness at the time of committing each of the 61 crimes he was convicted of on February 4th.

The judge also explained that Ongwen survived a life sentence because he never chose to be part of the LRA but was rather abducted at a young age of 9 years and exposed to violent acts.

Written by Noelyn Nassuuna