Tuesday, June 18, 2013

ICC allows Ruto not to attend full trial

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY EUGENE OKUMU
The Trial Chamber V at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has granted Deputy President William Ruto’s application in which he had asked not to physically attend consecutive sessions of his hearing at the Hague based court that is scheduled to start on September 10.
In a communique released today, the court has however asked Ruto to attend opening and closing statements of all parties and participants, and when victims present their views and concerns in person during the trial.
Furthermore, Ruto will be required to attend the delivery of judgment in the case and, if applicable, sentencing and reparations and any other attendance that may be ordered by the Chamber.
The Deputy President has been cautioned that failure to abide by the above stated conditions could result in revocation of the conditional excusing of Ruto from attending all the hearings, and could additionally lead to issuance of an arrest warrant for him as appropriate.
The latest grant by the ICC is the second that Ruto had been given having successfully applied for a postponement to the start of his case.
In both applications Ruto had stated that the new circumstance of him having been elected Deputy President in the March 4 elections, required him to fulfill his constitutional obligations to the electorate.
The ICC Trial Chamber was however categorical that granting Ruto the conditional excuse was to afford him any immunity based on official capacity, rather the permission was granted strictly for purposes of accommodating the demanding functions of his office as Deputy Head of State of Kenya.
The charges leveled against Ruto were confirmed on January 23, 2012 in which he is accused of crimes against humanity executed through murder, deportation or forceful transfer of population and persecution that were carried out during the post election violence of 2007-2008 following a disputed December 27, 2007 general election.
- See more at: http://the-star.co.ke/news/article-124734/icc-allows-ruto-not-attend-full-trial#sthash.qtQnmZHk.dpuf

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