A military tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced 25 soldiers to death for fleeing battles against M23 rebels.
The soldiers, detained on Tuesday after abandoning their posts in North Kivu province, were found stealing from shops in a nearby village.
Along with the soldiers, four of their wives, who received the stolen goods, were also detained. The tribunal, set up in Alimbongo on Wednesday, convicted.
According to DW Africa, the soldiers were detained on Tuesday after deserting their posts in North Kivu province. They were later found stealing from shops in a nearby village.
A military tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced 25 soldiers to death for fleeing battles against M23 rebels.
DW Africa said the soldiers were with four of their wives who received the stolen goods.
The wives were also detained.
However, the tribunal which was set up in Alimbongo on Wednesday convicted the soldiers of theft, desertion, and disobeying orders.
Nevertheless, one of the soldier received a 10-year prison sentence while the four wives and another soldier were acquitted.
All the soldiers were convicted while one soldier pleaded not guilty.
BBC said that in March 2024, the government lifted a moratorium in place for more than twenty years on the death penalty being carried out after the justice minister said there is need to remove “traitors” from the army.
Meanwhile a lawyer for the soldiers said he will appeal against the sentence. The sentence was handed to the lawyer on Wednesday by the military tribunal in North Kivu province.
Amnesty International has condemned the ruling.
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