DR Congo: Kabila is given the death penalty by a military court

A military court found former President Joseph Kabila guilty of war crimes, treason, and crimes against humanity and condemned him to death in absentia on Tuesday.

His alleged support for the AFC/M23 rebels in the unstable east of the country is the basis for the case.

Kabila, the former leader of Congo from 2001 to 2019, has denied any misconduct and said that the judiciary has become politicized.

Kabila was convicted of charges including murder, sexual assault, torture, and insurrection, according to Lieutenant-General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi, who presided over the tribunal in Kinshasa. Kabila did not have legal representation and did not attend the trial.

When announcing the verdict, Katalayi stated, “In applying Article 7 of the Military Penal Code, it imposes a single sentence, namely the most severe one, which is the death penalty.”

In addition, he was mandated to reimburse the state and victims for losses totaling almost $50 billion.