Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ADV) – The trial of Uganda’s Dominic Ongwen at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes, has been adjourned to 28 January 2019.
ICC judges reached the decision on Friday when to allow his lawyers have doctors assess Ongwen’s health.
A statement by the court said hearings were supposed to resume on 14January last week after a nearly two-month break, but the judges made the u-turn
The Trial Chamber IX said they granted the adjournment, “solely in order for the accused to receive any necessary medical treatment ….”
Further to that, the judges also ordered the medical officer of the detention center where Ongwen is held to report by January 23rd whether Ongwen will be able to attend the hearing scheduled for January 28th.
But trial Chamber IX said they were not ordering an additional examination of Ongwen but asking the medical officer to report back on what they find during their routine work.
However, Trial Chamber IX did decline to grant the defense request that their mental health experts examine Ongwen under Rule 135 of the ICC Rules of Procedure and Evidence.
Among other things, this rule provides for a trial chamber to order a medical, psychiatric or psychological examination of an accused.
Furthermore, the rule says that a trial chamber can do this on its own initiative or at the request of the defense or the prosecution. It also provides for a trial to be adjourned if a trial chamber finds an accused person is not fit to stand trial.
The former commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), faces70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity which he is alleged to have committed between July 2002 and December 2005 in northern Uganda.
© Bur-csa – N.A / From our regional correspondent Tamba Jean-Matthew III – African Daily Voice (ADV) – Follow us on Twitter : @ADVinfo_eng
