"The past is catching up with 93-year-old Etienne Davignon, a former Belgian diplomat accused of war crimes. On January 20, judges at the Brussels Criminal Court's Council Chamber heard his legal defense in an attempt to prevent a trial against him for his alleged role in the 1961 killing of Congolese politician Patrice Lumumba. The Congolese leader fought for the Congo's liberation from Belgian colonial rule. He remains a symbol for speaking out against injustice and highlighting the violence and humiliations of Belgian rule."
"The prosecution of international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes has no time limit, meaning they cannot expire or be covered by amnesty. This is why cases like the killing of Lumumba can still be investigated decades later. Wolfgang Kaleck, general secretary of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), says the assassination of Lumumba "is one of the most damaging political murders of the last century.""
Etienne Davignon, aged 93, is facing legal proceedings over an alleged role in the 1961 killing of Patrice Lumumba. Judges at the Brussels Criminal Court heard Davignon's defense on January 20 as he seeks to prevent a trial. Patrice Lumumba fought for Congo's liberation from Belgian colonial rule, and he was tortured, shot, mutilated and his body dissolved in an acid bath. Davignon is the only surviving suspect among ten Belgian officials named in a 2011 complaint by Lumumba's family. Belgian prosecutors requested in June 2025 that the case be sent to criminal court, citing suspected war crimes. International crimes carry no statute of limitations, enabling investigations decades later.
Read at www.dw.com
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