In the Sentence issued in the #Ongwen trial, the judges referred to the defendant& #39;s Unworn Statement to argue both mitigating and aggravating factors. Overall,several aspects of Ongwen& #39;s statement, including his demeanor weighed against him (1) https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread">: https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2021_04230.PDF">https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtReco...

The judges were "greatly impressed by Dominic Ongwen’s personal statement", but noted “his lack of remorse," calling it a "display of self-pity” in which “he acknowledged the suffering of (presumably) the victims of his crimes only to claim that his own suffering was equal.” (2)

Later the judges note again the absence from #Ongwen& #39;s statement "of any expression of empathy for the numerous victims of his crimes– and even less of any genuine remorse – supplanted by a lucid, constant focus on himself and his own suffering eclipsing that of anyone else” (3)

In relation to his mental health, the Chamber noted that #Ongwen "spoke lucidly for one hour and 45 minutes, without a break, sustaining a structured and coherent
declaration, while speaking largely freely (as opposed to reading out a prepared speech).” (4)

Additionally, the judges took note of the fact that "remarkably, Dominic Ongwen made sure, without mistakes, not to refer to confidential information when discussing sensitive topics." (5)