Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga awaits his sentence in the courtroom of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday, July 10, 2012. Judges at the ICC are handing down their first-ever sentence on Tuesday, following the conviction of Lubanga in May for conscripting child soldiers. The sentencing is considered a milestone since it is the first to be issued by the permanent court in The Hague, and because it is expected to set a war crimes law precedent in awarding damages for victims. (AP Photo/Jerry Lampen, Pool)
July 10, 2012 - 4:13 AM
THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The International Criminal Court has handed down its first sentence, imprisoning for 14 years a Congolese warlord convicted of using child soldiers.
Thomas Lubanga was convicted in March of recruiting and using children in his Union of Congolese Patriots militia during fighting in Congo's eastern Ituri region in 2002-2003.
The 51-year-old is the first person convicted by the 10-year-old permanent war crimes tribunal.
Prosecutors had asked for a 30-year sentence, but said they would be willing to cut it to 20 years if Lubanga offered a "genuine apology" to victims of his crimes.
Lubanga showed no emotion as Presiding Judge Adrian Fulford read out the sentence.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012