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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Thomas Lubanga appeal: Congo warlord seeks ICC release | Thomas Lubanga appeal: Congo warlord seeks ICC release |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga wants to be released from prison early to study the causes of ethnic conflict, he has told the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. | Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga wants to be released from prison early to study the causes of ethnic conflict, he has told the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. |
| Lubanga, who led one side during fighting between two Congolese communities, was the first person to be convicted by the ICC, in 2012. | Lubanga, who led one side during fighting between two Congolese communities, was the first person to be convicted by the ICC, in 2012. |
| He was sentenced to 14 years for using child soldiers and raping girls. | He was sentenced to 14 years for using child soldiers and raping girls. |
| He is eligible for release after serving two-thirds of his sentence. | He is eligible for release after serving two-thirds of his sentence. |
| He has been in custody since being arrested in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2005. | He has been in custody since being arrested in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2005. |
| Lubanga told the hearing at The Hague that he wanted to return to DR Congo and pursue a doctoral thesis in the city of Kisangani, to identify a new form of sociology to help "tribal groups to live together in harmony". | Lubanga told the hearing at The Hague that he wanted to return to DR Congo and pursue a doctoral thesis in the city of Kisangani, to identify a new form of sociology to help "tribal groups to live together in harmony". |
| He led a militia in the gold-rich Ituri region of DR Congo during a conflict between the Hema and Lendu communities, in which an estimated 50,000 people died and hundreds of thousands were made homeless. | He led a militia in the gold-rich Ituri region of DR Congo during a conflict between the Hema and Lendu communities, in which an estimated 50,000 people died and hundreds of thousands were made homeless. |
| His legal team argued that in general, "convicts are systematically released once they have served two-thirds of their sentence" in international justice. | |
| Prosecutors objected to his request, saying he had been interfering with witnesses in another case linked to the conflict in DR Congo. | |
| Lubanga denied the accusation. | |
| The judges did not say when they would issue their decision. | The judges did not say when they would issue their decision. |
| Thomas Lubanga | Thomas Lubanga |
| •Leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), an ethnic Hema militia | •Leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), an ethnic Hema militia |
| •Head of the UPC's military wing, the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC) | •Head of the UPC's military wing, the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC) |
| •Accused of recruiting children under the age of 15 as soldiers | •Accused of recruiting children under the age of 15 as soldiers |
| •Arrested in Kinshasa in March 2005 | •Arrested in Kinshasa in March 2005 |
| •Held by the ICC at The Hague since 2006 | •Held by the ICC at The Hague since 2006 |
| •Born in 1960, has a degree in psychology | •Born in 1960, has a degree in psychology |
| Lubanga profile | Lubanga profile |