Trial for Kenyan leader starts amid defiance and concerns
Source: Washington Post
More than five years after post-election violence killed hundreds in Kenya, crimes allegedly orchestrated by the East African nation’s current leaders, the process of justice begins this week.
On Tuesday, Deputy President William Ruto will face trial at the International Criminal Court at The Hague, while President Uhuru Kenyatta is scheduled to appear before the ICC in November.
But whether the victims will receive any significant measure of justice remains a question. Several witnesses have refused to testify, allegedly because of intimidation. The ICC has dropped charges against three others, citing insufficient evidence. And Kenya’s parliament voted last week to withdraw from the ICC, a move that the human rights group Amnesty International deemed “a disturbing attempt to deny justice” for the victims and “a dangerous precedent for the future of justice in Africa.”
Many Kenyans worry that the trials could isolate their country diplomatically and trigger political and tribal upheaval in one of the continent’s most vibrant economic hubs, vital to regional stability and counterterrorism efforts in East Africa. At stake is also the ICC’s credibility. It will try for the first time a sitting elected leader, marking the court’s biggest test to date. The trial starts amid growing defiance and animosity — not only in Kenya but also in other African countries — toward the ICC, which is accused of unfairly targeting Africans.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/trial-for-kenyan-leader-starts-amid-defiance-and-concerns/2013/09/09/7ea38e20-1963-11e3-80ac-96205cacb45a_story.html
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