THE HAGUE / BOSCO NTAGANDA

Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on seven counts of war crimes and three counts of crimes against humanity made his initial appearance before the court today. ICC 

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:49
• Production Date: 26 March 2013
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT - ICC
• Subject Topical: HUMAN RIGHTS
• Geographic Subject: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
• MAMS Id: U130326d

Description

STORY: THE HAGUE / BOSCO NTAGANDA
TRT: 1.49
SOURCE: ICC
RESTRICTIONS:
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / KINYARWANDA / NATS

DATELINE: 26 MARCH 2013, THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS

1. Wide shot, exterior ICC

26 MARCH 2013, THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS

2. Various shots, judges sit down
3. SOUNDUP (English) Ekaterina Trendafilova, Presiding Judge:
“You have the floor Mr. Ntaganda.”
4. SOUNDUP (Kinyarwanda) Bosco Ntaganda, Congolese Rebel Leader:
“I have been informed of the charges, but I plead not guilty because the charges…”
5. SOUNDUP (English) Ekaterina Trendafilova, Presiding Judge:
“Mr. Ntaganda. I wouldn’t like to interrupt you, because you have to feel at ease and to speak out how you feel about the question that I have raised with you, but maybe I have to once again repeat the purpose of the initial appearance is very limited one, just to know whether you have been informed about the crimes you are alleged to have committed, number one, whether you have been informed about your rights as granted by the statutory documents, and we are not discussing now anything related to your guilt, to your innocence, nothing beyond these two points that I’ve made and of course our duty to establish the commencement, the date for the commencement of the confirmation hearings. You will have ample opportunities to make your point as thoroughly and as much as necessary to the chamber. ”
6. Med shot, members of the defence
7. Wide shot, end of session

Storyline

The International Criminal Court (ICC) set 23 September as the start date for the confirmation of charges hearing for Congolese rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda, who made his first appearance before the tribunal today (23 March).

Ntaganda faces several counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity – including rape, murder and the recruitment of children – allegedly committed in Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between 2002 and 2003.

During the initial appearance, in the presence of the Prosecution and the Defence, represented by Duty Counsel Hassane Bel Lakhdar, Presiding Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova verified the identity of the accused and ensured that he was clearly informed of the charges brought against him and of his rights under the Rome Statute of the ICC.

Ntaganda made an attempt to plead not guilty, but was interrupted by the Presiding Judge, who clarified the purpose of the hearing.

A confirmation of charges hearing is held to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed each of the crimes charged, according to a news release issued by the Court, which is based in The Hague.

If the charges are confirmed, the Court’s pre-trial chamber commits the case for trial before a trial chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of the proceedings, namely the trial.

Ntaganda surrendered himself voluntarily to the ICC’s custody on 22 March, after turning himself in to the United States Embassy in Rwanda on 18 March.