Statement of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, following the Appeals Chamber decision upholding the acquittal in the Ngudjolo Chui case. The Appeals Chamber today dismissed, by a majority 3-2 decision, my Office’s appeal against the acquittal of Mr. Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui in December 2012 on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in relation to the attack on the village of Bogoro on 24 February 2003. This decision brings the case to a close. The decision does not negate the fact that crimes were committed in Bogoro or the suffering of the victims. My Office spared no effort in the prosecution of the case and exhausted all judicial remedies available to it. Today’s final outcome is one that has been reached through an independent and impartial judicial process that fully respected the rights of all parties and participants to the proceedings. My Office remains most committed to bringing an end to impunity for mass crimes perpetrated in the situation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This crucial work will continue unabated.
