A military tribunal in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, has sentenced six men to life in prison for killing Italy’s ambassador in 2021.
Death penalty had originally been sought for the six accused by public prosecutors who called them members of a “criminal gang”.
Luca Attanasio was among the three people that were shot dead on February 22, 2021, when a United Nations convoy was attacked in the DRC’s troubled east.
Mustapha Milambo, a driver, and Italian police officer Vittorio Iacovacci were the other fatalities.
While talking to AFP, the lawyers of the six Congolese men said they would appeal the life terms.
Five of the men are currently held in prison in Kinshasa, while the other is on the run.
The prosecution cast the defendants as criminals who had initially intended to kidnap the ambassador and demand a $1 million ransom during the hearings.
The defendants were arrested in January 2022, denied any wrongdoing and said their initial confessions were made under torture.
Also, their lawyers argued that the prosecution did not offer evidence in support of the murder charges, and pushed for acquittal.
The military tribunal also awarded damages of $2 million dollars to Italy.
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