The hearing of Dominic Ongwen’s appeal has kicked off at the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The hearing, which started today and ending on 18 February 2022, is aimed at addressing the Defence’s grounds of appeal relating to Mr Ongwen’s conviction and sentence.
Prosecutor, Ongwen and his lawyers are appearing before a panel of judges led by Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza (presiding), Judge Piotr Hofmański, Judge Solomy Bossa, Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou and Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze, and a number of amici curiae who were invited to provide observations on the appeals and participate in the hearing.
Ongwen’s lawyers raised 90 grounds of appeal consisting of alleged legal, factual and procedural errors relating to the conviction, and 11 grounds of appeal, alleging legal, factual and procedural errors relating to the sentence. The appeal brought against the conviction is the largest ever considered by the Chamber, raising complex and novel issues.
On 4 February 2021, Trial Chamber IX found Dominic Ongwen guilty of a total of 61 crimes comprising crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed in Northern Uganda between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2005.
On 6 May 2021, Trial Chamber IX sentenced Dominic Ongwen to 25 years of imprisonment. A phase dedicated to the reparations to victims is ongoing. On 21 July and 26 August 2021, the Defence filed its appeal briefs against the conviction and sentence, respectively.
