On Wednesday, November 21, Trial Chamber II issued a decision to sever the charges in the case against Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui and Germain Katanga and announced the Ngudjolo verdict will be delivered on Tuesday, December 18.

Katanga and Ngudjolo have been on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) since November 2009. Both are charged with seven war crimes and three crimes against humanity in connection to a February 2003 attack on Bogoro village, located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The trial concluded in November 2011 and closing arguments were made by parties in May 2012.

This will be only the second time the ICC has issued a judgment. The first judgment in the case of Thomas Lubanga was issued earlier this year on March 14. Lubanga, who was found guilty of conscripting, enlisting, and using child soldiers, is currently appealing his conviction and subsequent 14 year prison sentence.

To read more about the decision to sever charges, see the ICC Press Release here.