Image: Enja Heikkilä / Yle

The number of individuals who've received compensation for being wrongfully convicted and imprisoned has quadrupled in a decade.

Last year the state compensated such individuals to the tune of about three million euros, compared to some 720,000 euros in 2007. Since 2007 the euro amount of the compensation claims have risen steadily each year, but a major spike in payouts occurred in 2015.

Chief of Legal Affairs at the State Treasury, Pekka Syrjänen says the increase is due to courts handing out longer prison sentences for more serious crimes, resulting in turn in higher compensation claims.

Overturned drug charges typical

Syrjänen says he is unwilling to discuss the specifics of individual compensation cases, but notes that last year's record-breaking sum was mostly caused by claims paid out to just five individuals.

Foreign nationals in particular have been deprived of liberty for longer than others in recent years, he says.

Police may arrest a suspect if he or she has no permanent residence status in Finland, and if they consider it likely that by leaving the country the suspect will avoid a preliminary investigation, trial and sentencing.

Syrjänen points to suspected aggravated drug crimes as typical cases that involve protracted periods of detention.

"Someone from abroad comes to Finland with their car, is stopped by Customs and a large quantity of narcotics in found in the boot," says Syrjänen. Police investigate the case as an aggravated offence and press charges, but a district court may then find insufficient evidence to prosecute. This process generally takes several months, he explains.

100—120 euros per day

According to the law, any loss of liberty that lasts for more than 24 hours automatically warrants compensation.

The basic level of compensation is 100-120 euros per day of imprisonment, but reparation can be increased based on the duration of imprisonment, the seriousness of the charges and the age of the suspect.

Syrjänen says that compensation is most often paid to individuals wrongly imprisoned for less than a week.

He goes on to say that people who receive compensation to cover court costs – "mostly foreigners" – tend to have been unlawfully incarcerated for around six months.

Bigger payouts go public

Cases involving large payouts that appear in the news media are ones in which the daily claims are in the hundreds.

A Brazilian volleyball player who was wrongfully charged with aggravated rape last year received a total of 200,000 euros in compensation, bringing the per diem payment related his year-long stay to some 500 euros.

In 2016 Anneli Auer unsuccessfully filed a claim for damages of 2.5 million euros for her imprisonment over the alleged murder of her husband, a charge on which she was eventually acquitted. She received some 500,000 euros, after having served just over 600 days in prison.

Compensation has been paid to people wrongly convicted and later pardoned since the 1970s. </s> After fourteen years of campaigning, rights groups on Friday gave a sigh of relief when the International Criminal Court in the Hague delivered its first-ever order for financial reparations to victims of war crimes.

"The decision is hugely significant," Juergen Schurr, Head of Law and Policy at the human rights organisation Redress, told RFI.

"It comes about fourteen years after the brutal attack, and so it's long overdue that victims of that attack do receive some form of tangible justice."

The devastation caused by the 2003 attack on Bogoro village was total: Around 200 civilians were murdered, many others mutilated and women and girls forced into being sex slaves by the men of former warlord Germain Katanga.

"The damage was so colossal that no one can repair this 100%," Alain Uaykani, a former child soldier with a rival warlord at the time, told RFI by phone from Kinshasa.

"If you go to Bogoro, this is an area that almost disappeared off the map. So in terms of justice, this reparation is significant because it means the victims have not been forgotten."

In total, the court calculated that the survivors had suffered $3.75 million (around 3.5 million euros) in damages. Of this amount, it found that militia leader Germain Katanga was personally responsible for just under 1 million euros.

"In deciding what reparations to award, the chamber really relied on the needs that were expressed by the victims," Oriane Maillet, Associate Public Affairs Officer for the International Criminal Court told RFI.

"It also consulted the defence and they decided that two types of reparation should be awarded to the victims: on the one hand individual reparation but also collective reparation consisting of long-term projects, focusing on things like support for housing, income activities, education and psychological support."

In addition to the collective damages, each victim was awarded a symbolic amount of $250 (around 230 euros) in compensation.

While not intended to compensate the victims entirely, the court said it was "a symbolic amount which would provide meaningful relief to the victims for the harm they suffered."

One aspect though that needs to be fine-tuned is how the victims will actually be paid.

Germain Katanga, who's currently serving 12 years in jail for war crimes, doesn't have the means to pay.

So the independent Trust Fund for Victims--a body set up under the ICC--will try to cover the cost of the reparations.

A separate ruling on reparations for the victims of another convicted warlord Thomas Lubanga is expected to follow.

"Thomas Lubanga was the first to be tried by the Court, even before Germain Katanga, and yet his victims have been waiting for so long and they don't know what's going on," says former child soldier Alain Uaykani.

"The heart of this case was an ethnic fight, and if the Court doesn't pay attention it will stir up those same feelings again that others are more prioritized than others."

But for Juergen Schurr of Redress, Friday's decision can serve as a catalyst to end impunity.

"The fact that the reparations in the Lubanga case are delayed, shouldn't mean that the victims in the Katanga case should equally wait a long time for their reparations to come forward."

Last October judges approved symbolic reparations to create a living memorial for Lubanga's victims. "And we are now also in the same phase for the [Jean Pierre] Bemba case, so more decisions will be coming on those issues soon," insists Oriane Maillet.

"The success of the court will depends on how it delivers on its mandate to ensure all victims receive reparations," concludes Schurr. </s> The International Criminal Court on Friday found Congolese former militia leader Germain Katanga liable for $1 million in damages to his victims, in a landmark ruling for the permanent war crimes tribunal.

Judges specified that Katanga, convicted of crimes against humanity and war crimes in 2014, should pay $250 to each of 297 victims individually, or $74,250 in all — the first time the court has ordered a convict to pay damages to individual victims.

Noting that Katanga is in prison, indigent and unlikely to pay, judges acknowledged the ruling is partly "symbolic" and asked the court's Trust Fund for Victims to consider paying the damages on his behalf.

The award was "not intended to compensate for the entirety of the harm," said presiding judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.

But he said he hoped the fund, which is independent, would provide some kind of "meaningful relief" to the victims for the harm they have suffered.

Katanga was convicted for crimes including murder, attacking a civilian population and pillaging for his role in a 2003 attack on the Bogoro village in the Ituri district of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison but remains in jail in DRC on other charges.

The attack on Bogoro was part of an ethnic conflict which pitted ethnic Hema and Lendu communities against each other.

Judges ruled that damages suffered by all victims of the attack amounted to $3.7 million, and Katanga was responsible for $1 million of that.

The court requested funding for a program to support victims with housing, education, work, and psychological support.

The Trust Fund for Victims is funded by donations from states and individuals. It said in its 2016 report that it has earmarked 5 million euros to contribute to victims' reparations in various ICC cases.

The court asked it to respond by June 27 with details of how it might support Katanga's victims. </s> When the Congolese village of Bogoro was attacked by men with machetes and guns, the devastation was total: homes were pillaged, farms were destroyed, crops were ruined, and an estimated 200 villagers were massacred.

Now, for the first time in its history, the International Criminal Court has awarded compensation to the victims in a war-crimes case. The landmark ruling has broadened the court’s reach, taking it beyond traditional punishment and into the realm of restorative justice, and potentially creating a crucial new source of political support for the controversial court.

With some of the Congolese victims watching from thousands of kilometres away on a video link, the international court in The Hague ruled on Friday that a Congolese warlord is personally liable for $1-million (U.S.) in reparations to nearly 300 victims.

In total, the court calculated that the survivors had suffered $3.75-million in damages and psychological harm. Of this amount, it found that militia leader Germain Katanga is personally responsible for $1-million in damages.

Mr. Katanga, convicted of war crimes in 2014 for supplying the weapons and commanding the militia that led the assault on Bogoro village in 2003, is currently in prison in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on other criminal charges and is considered penniless.

Because the perpetrator has no money, the compensation will instead be provided by the Trust Fund for Victims, an independent body established under the court’s founding rules and financed by voluntary contributions from the court’s member states. There is $5-million currently in the fund, although $1-million has reportedly been set aside for another case.

The court decided that 297 villagers had proven that they were victims of the attack. Each will receive $250 in symbolic reparations, but they will also become beneficiaries of a larger fund of collective reparations to pay for long-term projects in housing, education, psychological support and income-generating activities.

The court ruled that Mr. Katanga should continue to be monitored to see if he remains indigent and unable to pay damages.

The symbolic $250 payment could help the villagers to buy farming tools or other material to improve their lives, the court said. “This symbolic amount, while not intended to compensate for the entirety of the harm, does provide meaningful relief to the victims for the harm they have suffered,” the court said.

Amnesty International said the decision is an important step towards addressing the “horrific suffering” of Mr. Katanga’s victims.

“Providing full and effective reparation will help the victims of these war crimes and crimes against humanity to rebuild their lives,” said a statement by Amnesty’s senior legal advisor, Solomon Sacco.

“But we must not forget that there are hundreds of thousands of other victims of similar crimes in the DRC, and whom the ICC will not be able to assist. Today’s decision should be a catalyst to end this impunity.”

The court asked the Trust Fund for Victims to present a plan by June 27 for the compensation projects that the fund will develop to help the victims.

Mr. Katanga watched the proceedings from a video link at Makala prison in Kinshasa, the Congolese capital. Several representatives of the victims watched a video link from the city of Bunia in Ituri province, the gold-rich region where Bogoro village is located, and larger meetings will be held in the region to explain the ruling to the victims.

To calculate the total damages of $3.75-million, the court had to use arbitrary estimates. It included, for example, $600 for the destruction of a house, about $520 for the killing of a family’s cattle and $150 for the destruction of a crop. It also included an amount of $8,000 for the death of a close relative.

By demonstrating its concern for victims and providing compensation to survivors, the International Criminal Court could be better equipped to fend off the growing criticism of its political biases and blind spots.

The court has been under frequent attack by many African politicians who accuse the court of being biased against Africans. So far, the court has convicted only Africans in its war-crimes prosecutions, and the court is unable to prosecute anyone in the United States or other countries that don’t belong to the court. But the court’s defenders have noted that most of its trials were a result of cases submitted to the court by African governments themselves.

Last year, three African governments – Burundi, Gambia and South Africa – announced their withdrawal from the court. But this year, Gambia and South Africa have reversed their decisions, although South Africa says it still intends to withdraw at a later stage. Courts there have ordered the government to obtain parliament’s approval first. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption Germain Katanga is serving a 12-year prison sentence

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has for the first time ordered a war criminal to pay reparations to victims of his atrocities.

Germain Katanga, an ex-militia leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, should pay $1m (£800,000) to villagers targeted in 2003, judges ruled.

But as he was insolvent, the ICC Trust Fund for Victims should consider making the payment, the judges added.

Katanga followed proceedings via video link from jail in DR Congo.

The ICC sentenced him to 12 years in 2014 for aiding and abetting war crimes.

He was behind the 2003 massacre of hundreds of villagers in north-eastern DR Congo.

In total, the court ordered reparations of more than $3.7m.

"The chamber has assessed the scope of the prejudice to 297 victims as $3,752,620. The chamber sets the amount to be contributed by Mr Katanga towards the reparations as $1m," said presiding judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.

A "symbolic" sum of $250 (£200) should be given to each of the 297 victims and a further $1m in "collective reparations", the judge said.

Lawyers for the victims set out a detailed list of losses, including the destruction of houses, furniture, and the killing of livestock.

They also said survivors had suffered psychological harm because of the loss of loved ones.

"The order provides for two types of reparations: individual reparations, awarded to individuals to repair the harm they have suffered; and collective reparations, consisting of long-term projects covering a whole community but still focusing on individual victims to the extent possible," an ICC statement said. </s> Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay the US Department of Justice $7.2bn (£6bn) over misleading investors with sales of mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the financial crisis.

The bank provisionally agreed the settlement amount in December, but it was only finalised today.

Deutsche Bank will pay a civil penalty of $3.1bn and provide $4.1bn in consumer relief, such as loan forgiveness, as part of its payment.

Read more: Deutsche Bank chief blames regulation for lack of banking innovation

“This $7.2bn resolution – the largest of its kind – recognises the immense breadth of Deutsche Bank’s unlawful scheme by demanding a painful penalty from the bank, along with billions of dollars of relief to the communities and homeowners that continue to struggle because of Wall Street’s greed,” said principal deputy associate attorney general Bill Baer.

“The department will remain relentless in holding financial institutions accountable for the harm their misconduct inflicted on investors, our economy and American consumers.”

Read more: Deutsche Bank's head of financial crime quits after just six months

Settling the mortgage-securities case would mean Deutsche Bank has shaken off one legal headache – however, other major probes remain.

Deutsche faces investigations into suspicious equities trades in Russia, as well as alleged violations of US sanctions on Iran and other countries. </s> HELSINKI (AP) — A Finnish court on Tuesday convicted five members of Cuba's national volleyball team of aggravated rape and ordered them to pay a total of 24,000 euros ($27,000) in compensation to the victim.

Four of the men were sentenced to five years in prison, while a fifth man got 3½ years.

The District Court of Pirkanmaa acquitted a sixth man, who had been held in police custody with the five others in the southern city of Tampere. The trial was held behind closed doors.

The men had denied the charges, saying they were innocent. It wasn't immediately clear if the five who were convicted would appeal. Some said they had sexual intercourse with the Finnish victim but denied rape.

Five-year sentences were given to Osmany Santiago Uriarte Mestre, 21, Ricardo Norberto Calvo Manzano, 19, Abrahan Alfonso Gavilan, 21, and Rolando Cepeda Abreu, 27. Luis Tomas Sosa Sierra, 21, got 3½ years.

Eight members of the Cuban volleyball team were initially arrested in early July following allegations that a woman was raped at a hotel where the team was staying in Tampere, 170 kilometers (105 miles) north of the capital, Helsinki. Two were released without charge.

The arrests were made during Volleyball World League.

During the investigation, the Cuban Volleyball Association acknowledged the arrests, saying the investigation seemed to indicate acts by the players that were "totally removed from discipline, the sense of honor and respect that govern our sport and society." </s> A German couple have been jailed for selling their 9-year-old son to paedophiles for sex on the dark web.

The 48-year-old woman and her 39-year-old partner were also convicted of repeatedly raping the boy, now 10, and filming the abuse.

They were both sentenced to 12 years in prison in a case that has horrified the country.

The sickening abuse lasted for more than two years, the Freiburg state court heard this week.

A 33-year-old Spanish man who was offered the boy for sex by his mother was found guilty of repeatedly raping him.

The man, whose name wasn’t released for German privacy reasons, was sentenced to ten years in prison and fined €18,000 euros (£16,080).

He admitted paying the woman and her partner €10,000 euros (£8,930) to rape the boy multiple times in the town of Staufen in southern Germany.

Police arrested the couple last year after being tipped off by an anonymous person.

Three German men and one Swiss citizen have already been convicted in separate trials.

The Freiburg state court ruled that the 39-year-old man must remain in preventive custody after serving his sentence. </s> The International Criminal Court (ICC) has for the first time ordered a war criminal to pay reparations to victims of his atrocities.

Germain Katanga, an ex-militia leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, should pay $1m (£800,000) to villagers targeted in 2003, judges ruled.

But as he was insolvent, the ICC Trust Fund for Victims should consider making the payment, the judges added.

Katanga followed proceedings via video link from jail in DR Congo.

The ICC sentenced him to 12 years in 2014 for aiding and abetting war crimes.

He was behind the 2003 massacre of hundreds of villagers in north-eastern DR Congo.

In total, the court ordered reparations of more than $3.7m.

“The chamber has assessed the scope of the prejudice to 297 victims as $3,752,620. The chamber sets the amount to be contributed by Katanga towards the reparations as $1m,” said presiding judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.

A “symbolic” sum of $250 (£200) should be given to each of the 297 victims and a further $1m in “collective reparations”, the judge said.

Lawyers for the victims set out a detailed list of losses, including the destruction of houses, furniture, and the killing of livestock.

They also said survivors had suffered psychological harm because of the loss of loved ones.
Finland says compensation payouts for wrongful convictions and imprisonments have quadrupled in ten years, with three million euros paid in 2017 versus 720,000 euros in 2007.