Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto speaks with his defence team led by Karim Khan at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague September 10, 2013. ICC
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17:10 Justice Chile -Eboe Osuji says Mr Sang's defence will make its opening statement Wednesday and adjourns court.
17:08 Khan: I urge the prosecution to drop the charges against Mr Ruto. If not, the judges should terminate this case or enter a verdict of not guilty.
17:06 Khan says a lot has been said about the ICC. This case got off to a wrong start with the ultimate end of getting Mr Ruto.
17:04 Khan plays a clip that shows Raila Odinga saying ODM would call for mass action.
17:03 Khan: We have debunked the prosecution's nonsense. We have debunked the anti-Kikuyu sentiment by showing that Mr Ruto supported the Kikuyu in 2002. We see a real glimpse of what is the truth.
17:02 The next clip shows Ruto expressing confidence that he will be set free.
17:00 Khan: it is difficult to deal with a lie, to expose a lie. All we can do is present evidence. Despite these hurdles, William Ruto has remained steadfast that in the end the truth cannot be hidden indefinitely.
16:59 Khan plays a clip that shows Ruto visiting post election violence victims in hospital and again urges calm and an end to the hostilities.
16:57 The belief of prosecution infallibility is the enemy of justice.
16:55 Khan: One needs to be careful as a prosecutor and they should be immune to rumours, hidden political agenda.
16:52 Those are unambiguous words from Ruto. Prosecution alleges that Ruto used coded language.
16:51 Khan plays a clip during the height of the violence that shows Ruto appealing for calm.
16:48 The systemic failings of the prosecution has also drawn the concern of the judges.
16:45 Ruto's defence says the conduct of his client is that of an innocent man.
16:42 Khan plays a clip where Ruto says his conscience is clear and his innocence is not in doubt.
16:40 Khan says it is not an easy thing to be named and shamed and have terrible allegations levelled against Mr Ruto. It is acutely painful.
16:37 Khan: Ruto plan's is to better the lives of Kenyans not thirst for power using underhand means.
16:35 In the clip, Ruto reveals his ambition to ascend to the presidency on the back of a strong performance in the Agriculture Ministry.
16:30 Mr Khan plays another video.
16:29 Khan: Mr Ruto's primary objective is the well being of Kenyans. In 2002, he supported the Kikuyu in the form of Mr Kenyatta. In 2007, he supported Raila Odinga, a Luo.
16:27 Khan says the defence has presented evidence as opposed to speculation fronted by the prosecution.
16:23 He reads an English translation of Ruto's address to the crowd.
16:21 Khan plays a clip that the prosecution had shown during its submissions.
16:20 Mr Ruto hopes that sanity will prevail, says his lawyer Khan.
16:18 Khan: There is not a minute of video or audio where Mr Ruto said 'kill these Kikuyu". Or is it because there is no evidence to find.
16:15 In the interview, Ruto speaks at length on the emotive issue of land.
16:08 Prosecution should have rolled its sleeves and got dirty with the evidence. None of this took place. Khan plays another clip.
16:05 Khan: No evidence of incitement from Ruto or indeed Sang.
16:02 Court is back in session.
14:33 The court takes a break.
14:30 Mr Ruto says he has been accused unfairly and would not wish another Kenyan to experience what he has undergone.
14:26 In the clip, Mr Ruto says some members of his family do not understand what is going on. I will try to protect them.
14:24 Khan: Mr Ruto has suffered. His good name is in your (judges) hands. He plays another clip.
14:22 Khan: The judges have opportunity to get to the truth, to look out for the evidence.
14:20 Khan displays a photo of former ODM's Pentagon and says it represented the face of Kenya.
14:18 Khan: The 2005 referendum did not take a tribal dimension. If the prosecution cannot get such a basic fact right, how on earth did it conduct these investigations? I can only describe it pathetic, derisory.
14:15 The name of Jackson Kibor as the lynchpin of the Network is also untoward. This is evidence of a desperate attempt by the prosecution to pursue Mr Ruto through whatever means. If the consequences were not profound, it would be hilarious.
14:12 The inclusion of Henry Kosgey in the Network amounts to character assassination after he was acquitted.
14:10 Khan: Judges will get a glimpse of assessing the truth. President Kenyatta and Ruto recently closed IDPs camps.
14:06 Khan: Prosecution claims that Ruto incited violence and hates Kikuyus are erroneous. In the course of these proceedings, I will show how bizarre that sounds. His two sisters are married to Kikuyus.
14:04 Judges will decide the truth in due course. The investigations portray Ruto as a violent man. The person who got most votes from a diverse population was Ruto.
14:02 Khan: Mr Ruto feels let down, the victims have been let down. It is a sad state of affairs.
14:00 In the clip, Mr Ruto says claims that he distributed 3,000 guns and grenade, was in charge of an army of attackers could only be possible in a movie.
13:58 Khan plays another video interview of Ruto. The Deputy President says Kenyans expected credible and independent investigations. If indeed such happened, my name should not have been on that list.
13:57 Khan: Ocampo's ineptitude has led to a travesty of justice.
13:55 Khan: The defence will show that Ruto was not responsible for the violence. The prosecution conducted lazy investigations.
13:53 Ruto says the country wants credible evidence.
13:51 Khan plays a clip showing Mr Ruto being interviewed by Jeff Koinange. In the video, Ruto says Ocampo has been employed to do a job. We should give him the support to help us sort our problems.
13:49 Khan: Court will pay proper regard to witnesses. Those who think they can spin a yarn, they should be aware that this court will take action to those who seek to pervert justice.
13:47 We want witnesses to speak the truth, those who speak it are heroes.
13:46 Khan: The prosecutor has been indifferent to the truth. No semblance to reality in her case.
13:44 Mr Ruto has set the benchmark on belief, commitment to international justice. He has acted in an exemplary fashion.
13:42 Khan: Ms Bensouda declined to state whether she has a strong case.
13:41 The former prosecutor Ocampo targeted Ruto even before the judges had authorised an investigation.
13:40 Mr Ruto has bowed his head to this court with expectation that justice will be served, says Khan. One cannot escape the reality that this investigation was inefficient.
13:38 Khan: A lot will be heard during these proceedings. Mr Ruto's has strived for a cohesive Kenya.
13:36 Mr Ruto's defence lead Karim Khan says the deputy president has waited for long to vindicate himself.
13:35 Mr Nderitu: Adopt courage to ensure that never again should violence return to Kenya. Your Honours, the ball lies squarely in your court.
13:33 Victims look up to you (judges) with hope that justice will be done. In your court, we have heard and seen from the prosecution's statement that the violence is a grave matter. As you listen, I beseech you to do so with anger. Justice requires that you be angry at the gross injustice meted on my clients.
13:31 Victims concerned by withdrawal of witnesses. It may spell the death knell for this court and the international criminal justice.
13:30 Mr Nderitu: Victims hope that individual criminal responsibility will remove the label of being members of the perpetrator community and the Kenyan society will become more tolerant.
13:28 Victims hope to give judges a clear picture of what happened during the dark days of the violence.
13:27 Mr Nderitu: The victims have a right to be heard. They need to air their emotions and tell their stories.
13:25 Through this trial, by administering justice, the victims will start the long process of healing.
13:22 The lives of children were disrupted, forced to live in tents and their parents living out of handouts. Their trust in the world was upset and replaced with cynicism.
13:20 The victims never expected to be victimised. The events of the post election violence has ravaged their souls.
13:18 Mr Nderitu: Victims have expressed concern that the trial was taking long to start. They can walk along the road of justice denied to justice restored.
13:17 Demands for accountability domestically has fell on the deaf ears of the Kenyan Government. They look up to you (judges) for justice.
13:15 Victims need to find meaningful justice in the proceedings of this court, the right to an expeditious process, the right to obtain reparations.
13:13 In the Rift Valley, there was the largest share of deaths and displacement. Victims have suffered repeat victimisation. This is as a result of subtle silencing from the communities they belong.
13:12 People must live meaningfully with dignity and security, your Honours have a task to make this a reality.
13:09 Mr Nderitu: The victims were stripped naked. Close to six years after the violence, the victims have continued to be stripped of their dignity, insecure and unprotected.
13:07 No one can relate the ordeal more vividly than the victims, says the victims' lawyer.
13:05 Mr Nderitu says it is the victims who bore the brunt. They suffered emotional damage and scarring, physical, financial damage.
13:03 Mr Nderitu says a victim of the violence said: "If there were no victims, there would be no case."
13:01 Court is back in session.
12:28 The court takes a short recess. Victims' lawyer Wilfred Nderitu will make his opening statement when the session resumes.
12:26 The prosecution will prove that Mr Ruto and Sang are guilty as charged.
12:25 Steynberg: The defence will allege that the violence was spontaneous. We expect the defence to use former prosecution witnesses who have recanted their testimony to say they were induced.
12:23 Mr Ruto had the mission to solidify his political base by using violence to destroy his opponent's homes and drive them out of the Rift Valley.
12:22 Mr Sang encouraged the Network members to carry out attacks and directed them to specific targets.
12:20 Mr Ruto provided weapons, transport. Mr Sang was the voice of the post election violence. He spread hate messages.
12:18 In meetings, logistics for transporting weapons and attackers were finalised. Local commanders gathered at the outskirts of targeted locations to maximise success.
12:16 Meetings took place in many places including Mr Ruto's Sugoi home. Witnesses said there were plans to rid the Rift Valley of political opponents.
12:14 After the violence, there was a cleansing ceremony. The Network had the means to carry out organised and large scale attacks.
12:11 Ruto gave inducements to those who executed the Common Plan. The Network drew from an existing tribal base to strengthen its position.
12:10 The Network was a criminal organisation connected by ethnic ties. It had a clear hierarchy and chain of command, well defined roles. Political, business and media elements that contributed to the Common Plan.
12:07 Ruto most influential politician in Rift Valley and he knew what was at stake: capturing power. The Network's planned to use violence if power was not captured through the ballot.
12:05 An expert witness will explore the historical roots of the violence. Kenya's politics in informed by ethnic loyalty. Land is a hotly contested issue and the Kalenjin believe the Rift Valley is their ancestral land. Prior to the elections, a number of Kikuyu had settled in the area to the resentment of the Kalenjin.
12:04 Mr Sang used his popular show to steer support to Mr Muto and against PNU.
12:02 Steynberg: In one of the worst attacks in Kiambaa, pro-Pnu supporters sought refuge in the Assemblies of God Church. They were barricaded inside and the church set on fire. Between 17 and 35 people of all ages died.
12:00 Evidence will establish the attacks were not spontaneous but well planned. Attacks focused on areas that were predominantly pro-PNU.
11:58 The prosecution's lead counsel Anton Steynberg has the floor. He says he will provide an indepth analysis of the case.
11:55 Ms Bensouda ends her statement.
11:53 Bensouda: This trial is not about meddling in African affairs. It is about delivering justice to the thousands of victims and ending impunity.
11:52 The prosecution has the opportunity to prove its case and show that the accused are guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Mr Ruto and Mr Sang will enjoy their rights, says Bensouda.
11:50 Bensouda: Worrying evidence of attempts to bribe and intimidate ICC witnesses. The trial must be allowed to run its course.
11:48 The ICC rejected Kenya's admissibility challenge after finding that there were no parallel national proceedings on the cases.
11:46 Waki Commission recommended the forwarding of information to the ICC upon failure by Kenya to put in place an independent judicial commission to try the suspects, says Bensouda.
11:45 Bensouda: The prosecution intervened after Kenya failed to establish a local mechanism to deal with the violence.
http://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/Ruto++Sang+stand+trial+at+The+Hague+/-/1064/1986550/-/aybhn6z/-/index.html
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