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Ugandan war crimes suspect Ongwen pleads not guilty at first trial day

Xinhua, December 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

The trial in the case of Dominic Ongwen, an ex-commander of the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), started on Tuesday in The Hague, with the accused pleading not guilty to the charges.

Presiding judge Bertram Schmitt started the trial by reading out the charges.

Ongwen is accused of 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the long-lasting civil war in Uganda. The crimes are related to attacks against the civilian population in the camps in Lukodi, Pajule, Odek and Abok between October 2003 and June 2004.

ICC's chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and trial lawyer Benjamin Gumpert followed judge Schmitt with their opening statements.

The hearings will continue on Wednesday with the opening statements of the legal representatives of the victims and will resume on Jan. 16, 2017.

Ongwen was arrested in the Central African Republic in January 2015 and transferred to the ICC's custody later that month. The Court had issued an arrest warrant against Ongwen already in July 2005. Endit