Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at ICC over charges linked to 2007 violence ByFaith Karimi, CNN October 8, 2014 -- Updated 0532 GMT (1332 HKT) Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was summoned to attend a status hearing Wednesday at the International Criminal Court. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Kenyatta will be the first serving President to appear before the ICC He faces five counts of crimes against humanity for his alleged role in a disputed 2007 election The Kenyan leader has pleaded not guilty (CNN)-- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will become the first sitting head of state to appear before the International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity. Kenyatta, 52, faces five counts of crimes against humanity for his alleged role in the disputed 2007 presidential electionin which then-incumbent Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner. More than 1,000 people died and hundreds of thousands were displaced when ethnic groups loyal to leading candidates torched homes and hacked rivals to death in violence that raged until early 2008. Kenyatta, who backed Kibaki in that election, is accused of funding a local militia that conducted reprisal attacks. Kenyatta will attend the second day of a status hearing Wednesday. The first day of the hearing was held Tuesday, but he was not required to attend. The court mandated that he be present Wednesday. During the hearing Tuesday, the prosecution accused the Kenyan government of not providing key documents in the case against its leader. The defense denied the allegation. Kenya is the second African nation after Sudan to have a sitting President facing charges at the International Criminal Court. But Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has largely shunned an ICC warrant for his arrest for alleged war crimes. Lack of evidence My conscience is clear, has been clear, and will remain forever clear that I am innocent of all the accusations leveled against me, Kenyatta said before he boarded a plane for Netherlands. The ICC prosecutor has postponed the start of the trial numerous times, citing lack of evidence. This is the first time Kenyatta is attending a hearing in person since he assumed office in April last year. In ordinary circumstances, the insufficiency of evidence would cause the prosecution to withdraw the charges, the ICC said in September. However, it would be inappropriate for the prosecution to withdraw the charges at this stage in light of the government of Kenya continuing failure to cooperate fully with the courts requests for assistance in this case. Deputy President also facing charges The ICC has also accused his deputy President, William Ruto, of orchestrating attacks. His trial started in September.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 07:59:59 +0000
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