Media Advisory: 22 September 2015

Opening of the trial in the Bemba, Kilolo et al. case on 29 September 2015: Practical information for the media

ICC-CPI-20150922-MA188

Situation: Central African Republic
Case: The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido

The trial in the case The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido is scheduled to open on Tuesday, 29 September 2015, at 09:30 (The Hague local time), before Trial Chamber VII of the International Criminal Court, composed of presiding Judge Bertram Schmitt, Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut and Judge Raul Pangalangan.

Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido are accused of offences against the administration of justice in connection with witnesses' testimonies in the case of The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo.

The trial will open with the reading of the charges against the five accused. The Judges will verify that the accused persons understood the nature of the charges. The accused persons will be requested whether they plead guilty or not guilty to the charges. It is expected that the Prosecution will make opening statements before proceeding to its presentation of evidence. The opening statements of the Defence will be made at the beginning of the presentation of evidence of the Defence.

Background information

Webstreaming

The hearings can be followed with a 30-minute delay on the ICC website at: English, French

Attending the hearing

  • Journalists wishing to cover the hearing are kindly invited to request attendance via email to: [email protected]. All journalists must present a valid press card at the public entrance of the Court, located at Regulusweg (The Hague).
  • Members of the diplomatic corps, NGOs and other members of the public wishing to attend the hearing are kindly invited to request attendance via email to: [email protected]. Attendees must present a valid passport or valid ID with a photo at the public entrance of the Court, located at Regulusweg (The Hague).

Please note that individuals who do not receive a confirmation in advance cannot be guaranteed access to the hearing.

AV materials

Filming or photography is strictly prohibited inside the Court building. However pictures of the hearing will be posted on the Court's Flickr account.

Audio-visual materials will be available for download on an FTP server in video (MPEG-4) and audio (MPEG-3) format and for viewing on the official ICC YouTube Channel.

Media Centre

For media representatives wishing to use the Court's media facilities, the media centre will open from 08:30 until two hours after the end of the hearing.

The area can sit up to 64 people and includes plasma TV screens; a Wi-Fi internet service; cards (plug + play) for those without Wi-Fi capability in their PC or laptop; 6 computers with internet access; 7 telephones that may be used free of charge for internal calls. For external calls, journalists are advised to purchase 0800 pre-paid phone cards beforehand. Such cards are available at newsagents and train stations. Please note that phone cards cannot be obtained in the vicinity of, or at, the ICC.

Parking facilities

Parking facilities are available for media representatives at the Regulusweg and Wegastraat car-parks.

SNG trucks

SNG trucks are not allowed to park alongside the ICC building, but should go to the car park located at the intersection of Regulusweg and Wegastraat.

For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail at: [email protected].

You can also follow the Court's activities on YouTube and Twitter