Sentences Handed Out for AFRC

July 19, 2007

Today the Special Court for Sierra Leone completed the first leg of its mission to bring to justice those most responsible for the horrors of the war, and strike a blow at the heart of impunity. Alexander T. Brima, Ibrahim B. Kamara and Santigi B. Kanu were sentenced to 50, 50, and 45 years respectively for their roles as top brass of the AFRC and the crimes perpetrated and directed against the people of Sierra Leone from 1997-1999. Each was found guilty in practice or through subordinates of 11 counts of crimes against humanity, which included extermination, murder, mutilation, looting, enslavement, sexual violence, and the recruitment of child soldiers. Justice Julia Sebutinde of Uganda indicated that numerous factors weighed in on the sentencing, such as the gravity of the offences, individual circumstances, the defendant’s role and scope of his participation, the general nature of the violations, their impact on victims, the number of victims and their vulnerability. After debunking most of the defense’s plights for mitigating factors such as the family life, character, the guerilla nature of the war, a lack of training and or control over their troops by the defendants, Justice Sebutinde and the panel of judges stressed how vile and unjustifiable the acts perpetrated and orchestrated by these men truly are. Let us hope these sentences bring some form of closure to the victims, the people of Sierra Leone and contribute to sustainable peace and reconciliation.