Int’l court sentences Sudanese militia leader to 20 years in prison

The Hague: Judges at the International Criminal Court sentenced a leader of the feared Sudanese Janjaweed militia to 20 years imprisonment on Tuesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the catastrophic conflict in Darfur more than two decades ago.

At a hearing last month, prosecutors sought a life sentence for Ali Muhammad Ali Abd–Al-Rahman, who was convicted in October of 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity that included ordering mass executions and bludgeoning two prisoners to death with an axe in 2003-2004.

“He committed these crimes knowingly, willfully, and with, the evidence shows, enthusiasm and vigour,” prosecutor Julian Nicholls told judges at the sentencing hearing in November.

Abd-Al-Rahman, 76, stood and listened, but showed no reaction as Presiding Judge Joanna Korner passed

the sentence.

He was handed sentences ranging from eight years to 20 years for each of the counts for which he was convicted before the court imposed the overarching joint sentence of 20 years.

She said that Abd-Al-Rahman “not only gave the orders that led directly to the crimes” in attacks that largely targeted members of

the Fur tribe perceived as supporting a rebellion against Sudanese authorities, he “also personally

perpetrated some of them using an axe he carried in order to beat prisoners.”