In the Sentence issued in the #Ongwen trial, the judges referred to the defendant's Unworn Statement to argue both mitigating and aggravating factors. Overall,several aspects of Ongwen's statement, including his demeanor weighed against him (1) 🧵: https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2021_04230.PDF
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'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)
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