Displaying items by tag: court sentence

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced former Janjaweed commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, better known as Ali Kushayb, to twenty years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur in 2003–04. Convicted on 27 charges, he is the first person tried by the ICC for atrocities linked to the Darfur conflict. Judges found that he both ordered and personally participated in attacks aimed at ‘wiping out’ non-Arab communities, including killings, mass displacement and widespread sexual violence. Survivors testified to villages being burned and families destroyed. The ruling comes as Sudan faces renewed conflict, with the Rapid Support Forces (successors to the Janjaweed) accused of carrying out similar abuses today. While the ICC hopes the sentence will offer justice and deterrence, experts question its immediate impact, noting that millions of survivors remain displaced and key figures, including former president Omar al-Bashir, are still wanted. The verdict nevertheless stands as a significant acknowledgment of long-ignored suffering.

Opposition leader Julius Malema has been found guilty of hate speech by the country’s equality court after inflammatory remarks he made at a 2022 rally. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) chief, known for provocative statements, said that ‘a revolution demands that at some point there must be killing’, following an incident where a white man allegedly assaulted a party member. The court ruled that while condemning racism is acceptable, these words amounted to incitement to violence. Malema and his party rejected the judgment, saying the words had been taken out of context. The conviction adds to Malema’s history of controversy, including a ban from entering the UK and criticism from Donald Trump for incendiary remarks and songs. His case underscores the continuing struggle with racial tensions in South Africa more than three decades after apartheid ended.

Chris Brain, a former CofE priest and founder of the Nine O’Clock Service (NOS), has been convicted of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women. The NOS, active between 1986 and 1995, blended rave culture with worship but was later exposed as a manipulative, closed environment in which Brain exploited his authority. Prosecutors told the court that some victims, recruited to a 'homebase team' to care for Brain and his family, were pressured into sexual favours and treated as servants. The group referred to some of these women as 'Lycra lovelies' or 'Lycra nuns’. Several assaults occurred during massages, which Brain admitted but insisted were consensual, describing them as 'no big deal’. The court heard, however, that Brain abused his influence, creating a controlling culture that enabled systematic exploitation. Now 68, he was removed from ministry in 1995. Jurors continue to deliberate on four further indecent assault charges and one rape charge. Brain denies wrongdoing on all counts.

Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, has been found guilty of murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin and three attempted murders during a horrific sword rampage in Hainault, north-east London. Suffering from a cannabis-induced psychosis, Monzo launched a twenty-minute spree in April 2024, beginning with driving his van into a pedestrian before attacking several victims with a 60cm samurai sword. Daniel, on his way to school, was brutally killed in what a witness described as a chilling act of 'delight’. Monzo also wounded two police officers and a couple in their home, where he demanded to know if they believed in God. Though he claimed memory loss and diminished responsibility, the court ruled that self-induced intoxication was no defence. The trial revealed Monzo’s disturbing online history, including far-right and conspiracy-related content. The jury also heard he had previously killed his pet cat before the attacks.