Former Congolese leader Jean-Pierre Bemba to be sentenced at the ICC today

Prosecutors are calling for a minimum of 25 years behind bars for Bemba. If imposed, it will be the longest sentence ever handed down by the ICC.

In March this year, Bemba was found guilty of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He’d sent 1500 troops into CAR from October 2002 to May 2003, to help prevent a coup against its then President Ange-Felix Patasse. Those troops carried out a reign of terror, which included murders and the gang rapes of men, women and children.