Several sources stated that the verdict in the trial for the assassination of former President Kabila was rendered by the Military Order Court on 7 January 2003 (ASADHO Mar. 2003; Le Phare 18 Jan. 2003; La Tempête des Tropiques 8 Jan. 2003).

Thirty of the 135 people accused were sentenced to death and 27 to imprisonment for life, while terms of imprisonment ranging from 2 to 20 years were given to nearly 20 of the accused, and 50 or so others were acquitted (ibid.; ASADHO Mar. 2003; Le Phare 18 Jan. 2003).

Please find attached the list of persons convicted in the trial of the alleged assassins of Laurent-Désiré Kabila and their respective sentences, extracted from the document "Liste des condamnés au procès des présumés assassins de Laurent-Désiré Kabila," which was prepared by the African Human Rights Association (Association africaine de défense des droits de l'homme, ASADHO) in the RDC (Mar. 2003, 13).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

African Human Rights Association (ASADHO) [Kinshasa]. March 2003. Périodique des droits de l'homme. No. 36. "Rapport annuel 2002 -Numéro spécial." http://www.fidh.org/afriq/rapport/2003/asadho2002f.pdf [Accessed 26 Aug. 2003]

Le Phare [Kinshasa]. 18 January 2003. "Rectificatif sur la liste des condamnés et acquittés du procès L D Kabila." http://www.digitalcongo.net/fullstory.php?id=19866 [Accessed 26 Aug. 2003]

La Tempête des Tropiques [Kinshasa]. 8 January 2003. "Verdict du procès sur l'assassinat de Laurent-Désiré Kabila, voici la liste des condamnés et des acquittés." http://www.digitalcongo.net/fullstory.php?id=19592&page_offset=0 [Accessed 26 Aug. 2003]

African Human Rights Association (ASADHO) [Kinshasa]. March 2003. Périodique des droits de l'homme. No. 36. "Liste des condamnés au procès des présumés assassins de Laurent-Désiré Kabila," in "Rapport annuel 2002 - Numéro spécial." http://www.fidh.org/afriq/rapport/2003/asadho2002f.pdf [Accessed 26 Aug. 2003], 1 p.