Credit: © ICC-CPI/Armin Taslaman /  DR Congo VP Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo in the ICC courtroom during the delivery of his guilty verdict on 21 March 2016 of war crimes. Then on 8, June 2018, the Appeals Court of the ICC decided, by majority, to acquit Bemba from all charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.   

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC TIMES

Former DRC vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba is demanding €68m ($US 77 Million) in compensation from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the 10 years he “rotted” behind bars  in The Hague, Netherlands, according to legal papers sent to the war tribunal Monday. The ICC’s Appeal judges in June 2018 overturned Bemba’s 2016 conviction, when he was found guilty of two counts of crimes against humanity and three counts of war crimes. He had been sentenced to 18 years in jail. The  ICC ruled Bemba could not be criminally liable for the crimes committed by his troops in the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2002 and 2003. Now, Bemba is seeking millions for the 10 years of his life he claims the  ICC stole from him, in addition to  his assets — including seven aircraft (including a Boeing 727-100),  (six aircraft at N’djili airport,  Kinshasha),  DRC,  two boats  and three villas in Portugal he lost as a result of his decade-long incarceration. According to the claim, the ICC  v. Bemba case is “almost unprecedented”.

“An innocent man lost 10 years of his life. The simple loss of time spent in prison is incalculable.  The purpose of this  claim is to attempt to repair some of the damage done to the man and his family by his arrest, detention, and ancillary actions of the Court and certain State Parties.  That damage arises from the treatment of Mr. Bemba’s material assets following his arrest.”

Bemba’s lawyer Peter Haynes said in a document sent to the ICC.

“The claim is submitted to the ICC judges. It will follow the judicial process in accordance with the ICC legal framework.  We can’t speculate on the decision.”

ICC spokesperson,  Fadi El Abdallah told Diplomatic Times .

Bemba arrived back in DR Congo by private jet to register for presidential elections

Credit: Jean-Pierre Bemba via Twitter / Bemba boards private jet enroute to DR Congo Aug. 1, 2018  after being freed from the ICC prison following his acquittal of war crime charges. However, DR Congo Banned Former War Lord Jean-Pierre Bemba from running In Election.

In Monday’s claimed filed with the ICC,  Bemba  alleged the Court acted negligently in seizing and freezing his property but failing to properly manage it or even account for it.  The decade behind bars Bemba spent was tragic, his lawyer maintained.

“To spend a period of 10 years in detention as an innocent man is unimaginable. No matter how relatively comfortable the prison, and beyond the limited privileges it may afford, all liberty is removed. Mr. Bemba was locked in his room every night for over 3,000 nights. All travel was denied to him. He did not see his homeland, an neither oceans nor mountains. For 10 years, if he wanted to take a walk, he had to walk around in a circle.”

Bemba’s  lawyer Peter Haynes.  

Credit: ICC-CPI /  International Criminal Court Headquarters in The Hague Netherlands

Credit: Flikr.com /  ICC Detention Centre is located within a Dutch prison complex 

Credit: Flikr.com / Prison cell at ICC Detention Centre in The Hague,  Netherlands 

ICC Also Cleared Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo of all war crimes

Credit:  ©ICC-CPI/   Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands

ICC judges acquitted former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo of all war crime charges in January 2019, and  ordered the 73-year-old ex-leader set free. Gbagbo,  who  spend 7 years  in custody,  was  the first head of state to stand trial at The Hague Netherlands war tribunal. The ICC also acquitted Gbagbo’s right-hand man Charles Blé Goudé  from all war crime charges.  ICC judges ruled that prosecutors had failed to prove any case against Gbagbo and co-defendant Blé Goudé.

Bemba’s legal claim against the ICC, also sets up a similar claim for the former Ivory Coast president Gbagbo to seek damages for the 7 years he languished in The Hague prison, before being found innocent.