ICC Bemba Appeal

This fact sheet provides background information on the appeal of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo at the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

Bemba is a 55-year-old former vice president, businessman, and militia leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who was convicted on March 16, 2016, of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the 2002–2003 conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR).

The 18-year prison sentence handed down to him is the longest issued by the ICC. He appealed both the conviction and the sentence. The prosecutor also appealed to raise his prison sentence to 25 years.

The judgment on his appeal will be handed down on Friday, June 8, 2018.