Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court have upheld the conviction of Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga.

The judges at the court in The Hague, Netherlands, confirmed Lubanga’s 14-year sentence Monday for his role in the recruitment and use of child soldiers during the conflict more than a decade ago in the gold-rich Ituri region in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The 53-year-old Lubanga, wearing a blue and purple robe, showed no emotion as the court handed down its ruling. He has already spent eight years in prison and could become eligible for early release after serving two-thirds of his sentence. That means he could be freed as soon as next year.

Lubanga was convicted of abducting children as young as 11 years from homes, schools and football fields and forcing them to fight. Rights groups say that about 60,000 civilians were killed between 1999 and 2006 in the fighting in the Ituri region.

Lubanga’s 2012 conviction was the first at the International Criminal Court, the world’s only permanent war crimes tribunal.
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