Defence lawyers for those found guilty of killing Congolese...

Defence lawyers for those found guilty of killing Congolese President Laurent Kabila officially requested that his son and successor Joseph pardon them. A former aide to President Kabila, Colonel Eddy Kapend, and at least 25 others, were sentenced to death on January 7 for their role in the assassination two years ago. There is no right to appeal in Democratic Republic of Congo law, but lawyers say that the final say rests with the president. President Joseph Kabila's spokesman, Mulegwa Zihindula, indicated that the president has no desire to overturn the court's decision. The trial failed to fully reveal the truth about who killed Laurent Kabila, and why. The BBC correspondent said the defence was made difficult by the fact that all of the witnesses to the murder were on trial and facing the death penalty, meaning no testimonies were entirely free and fair. He said confusion reigned in the trial right up to the end - with the judge having to acquit defendants because they were dead, or because he was not sure whether they existed. Laurent Kabila was shot on 16 January 2001 - but officials maintained for several days that he was still alive. Shortly after the shooting at the presidential palace, Colonel Kapend - found guilty as the mastermind - went on television to appeal for calm and announce the closing of borders, fuelling speculation that the Congolese leader had indeed been killed. It was hoped that the trial would draw a line under the episode, ending awkward questions. But our correspondent says many people in Kinshasa believe that it will take many decades to find out the real story behind Kabila's assassination. It was 40 years after the murder of Congo's first leader, Patrice Lumumba, that the circumstances of his death became known.