Read Lubanga Chronicle #8 06 March 2009

Today, Witness 10 will be concluding her testimony. The Prosecution team has nearly finalized its examination, but before giving the floor to the Defence, Ms. Bensouda announces that the Prosecution wants to show extracts of a video to the witness. She asks for the first 25 seconds to be shown in private session with the computer screens turned away from the public and without broadcasting. The video is played and everybody at the Court looks at the screens with special attention - all of them except for Thomas Lubanga, who is crossing his arms, seemingly indifferent to what is being shown in front of him....

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Read Lubanga Chronicle #7 05 March 2009

"What happened yesterday did not startle the Prosecution,"assures Ms Julieta Solano, referring to the inconsistencies found by the Defence in the testimony of Witness 11 - or simply ‘Patrick.' The former child soldier, the fourth presented by the Prosecution, initially blamed the inconsistencies on an interpreting mistake. He had offered contradictory information on different occasions between 2005 and 2008 and again during his oral testimony, something which the Defence had managed to point out during its cross-examination. Yet the Prosecution does not appear to consider this ‘glitch' as much of a problem. Patrick was a child when he was enlisted by Lubanga´s militias; he was still very young when he was interviewed for the first time in 2005. His experience was so traumatic that it may well have impeded his ability to remember clearly what happened to him - and the Prosecution trusts that the Judges know this, too....

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Read Lubanga Chronicle #6 04 March 2009

It has not been a good day for the Prosecution. Throughout the cross-examination, the Defence has been trying with fierce determination to undermine the testimony of Witness 11, whom the Prosecution decided to call 'Patrick.' And, apparently, the Defence succeeded....

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Read Lubanga Chronicle #5 03 March 2009

Today, Ms. Julieta Solano continues the examination of “Patrick,” the fourth child soldier called by the Prosecution. With empathy and respect, Ms Solano repeats any question that her witness does not understand; she is grateful for any clarification offered by the child; she appreciates Patrick’s patience. For her, the person inside the witness box is not just a means to an end...

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Read Lubanga Chronicle #4 27 February 2009

Julieta is running around her office, disoriented. "Printer problems!" she shouts. Meanwhile, somebody is speaking at her through the phone, audible via loudspeakers. She hurriedly puts on her gown and sprints through the corridor to the lift. There are seven minutes left before the trial starts, and the lift is taking a bit of time. At this moment, for Julieta, a minute feels like an hour. "I should have been there five minutes ago!"she says. She didn't sleep well. "I woke up at three, and again at five." It's rush hour in the ICC building and the lift still has not come. Even though her examination won't start before the afternoon, as member of the Prosecution team, Julieta has to be in Court on time. She finally decides to run down the stairs ... Four minutes left until the beginning of the session....

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Read Lubanga Chronicle #3 26 February 2009

Thomas Lubanga is a well-dressed man. Today, he has matched his blue suit with a checked tie, a new combination. He never wears the same outfit to Court twice. Every day: different colours, diverse patterns. Leaning back in his chair, he puts on his headphones in quite a particular way....

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Read Lubanga Chronicle #2 25 February 2009

Today's session produces no upsets, in contrast to yesterday. Witness 213's unexpected and touching statement had provoked many emotions in the Court Room the day before. It is the turn of the third former child soldier who will testify on what happened on a certain day in the Congolese region of Ituri....

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Read Lubanga Chronicle #1 24 February 2009

The silence of the public gallery is interrupted only by the slow rise of the blinds. Behind the soundproof glass, a little courtroom appears in front of us. The wood and the black of gowns colour the place in homogeneous shades....

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