Press Release: Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union following the start of the Thomas Lubanga trial at the ICC in January 2009

The EU welcomes the start of the Thomas Lubanga trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague on 26 January 2009. This first ICC trial constitutes a very important phase in the fight against impunity for the most serious crimes, and in the pursuit of justice for their victims in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).