The United States has welcomed a verdict by the International Criminal Court (ICC), finding Jean-Pierre Bemba from the Central African Republic (CAR), and four associates guilty of offences against the administration of justice.

In a Monday press release, the US State Department said the five individuals were found to have corruptly influenced defence witnesses in connection with Bemba’s separate ICC trial, in which he was convicted of atrocities committed by a Congolese militia under his command in the Central African Republic.

Witness tampering — including intimidation and violence against witnesses testifying for the prosecution and the defence — remained a critical vulnerability for efforts all over the world to establish the truth about atrocities and promote justice for the victims, said the State Department.

“When threats emerge to the integrity of such proceedings, we encourage national authorities to take steps to address them and hold those who are responsible to account.

“The United States is committed to working as appropriate with governments, tribunals, and other actors to better ensure that those who have the courage to share their testimony about mass atrocities are not made victims a second time for doing so. Witness intimidation must not become a pathway to impunity.”