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Kenyatta must attend trial: ICC
The International Criminal Court has reversed a ruling that allowed Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta to attend only parts of his trial, saying the African leader as a general rule must be present in court.Any future requests to be excused from attending parts of his trial will be considered on a case-by-case basis, The Hague-based ICC said in a statement on Tuesday. Kenyattas trial on charges of masterminding some of the 2007-8 post-election violence in Kenya that left over 1000 people dead and several hundred thousand displaced is set to start on February 5. Judges previously partially excused Kenyatta to allow him to deal with the aftermath of a Nairobi mall siege in September. Two weeks later, the court postponed the trials start date after Kenyattas lawyers said the mall attack claimed by Somalias al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab insurgents triggered a national and international crisis. Kenyatta, who was elected president in March, has long said that the trial in the Netherlands would hamper his running of the country. Prosecutors however argued Kenyattas situation was the same as that of fellow accused and Kenyas Vice President William Ruto, who was instructed last month to be present at his own trial. Both Kenyatta and Ruto face crimes against humanity charges in separate trials. They were political opponents at the time of the post-poll violence that shattered the east African countrys image as a beacon of stability in the region. Ruto went on trial in September, becoming the highest-ranking serving official to do so before the ICC. Both men have pledged full cooperation with the court. Posted by: Steve White 2013-11-27 |
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