THE HAGUE, Netherlands, May 31 (UPI) -- The International Criminal Court announced it upheld a decision to drop war crimes charges against a Rwandan rebel leader accused of DRC violence.
French authorities acting on an arrest warrant issued in September 2010 by the ICC transferred Rwandan rebel leader Callixte Mbarushimana to a detention center in The Hague last year.
He was charged with five counts of crimes against humanity and six counts of war crimes for atrocities committed in 2009 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mbarushimana is the leader of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, known by its French initials FDLR. The U.S. Treasury Department, in sanctioning certain FDLR leaders in December 2010, said the rebel group is the one of the most violent armed groups in the Congo.
ICC judges announced they dismissed an appeal against a decision to drop the war crimes charges filed against Mbarushimana. They found that while war crimes were likely committed, there wasn't enough evidence to prove Mbarushimana directly contributed to the crimes.
Judges said they were evaluating whether it was possible to move ahead with a new case against the rebel leader.
