Kenya Vice President William Ruto's crimes
against humanity trial begins at the
International Criminal Court on Tuesday, the
most senior official ever judged by the under-
fire tribunal.
Ruto, 46, flew in to The Hague from Nairobi on
Monday to face charges of masterminding
deadly post-election violence in the east
African nation five years ago.
The trial, beginning at 0730 GMT, comes just
days after lawmakers in Kenya became the first
in the world to approves moves to withdraw
recognition of the court's jurisdiction.
Any move by Kenya to leave the ICC's Rome
Statute will have no effect on the current trials,
but observers fear it may spark an exodus of
court member states in Africa, where all the
ICC's current cases are based.
Ruto and his co-accused, radio boss Joshua
arap Sang, 38, each face three counts of
murder, deportation and persecution after a
wave of violence swept Kenya in 2007-08,
leaving at least 1,100 dead and more than
600,000 homeless. Both will plead not guilty.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, a one-time
political foe of Ruto's turned ally, goes on trial
at the ICC on November 12. He also says he is
innocent.
Dozens of Kenyan MPs have promised to show
their support for the accused by flying to the
Netherlands for the start of the trial.
Violence in 2007-2008 laid bare simmering
ethnic tensions. The violence was mainly
directed at members of Kenya's largest Kikuyu
tribe, who were perceived as supporters of then
president Mwai Kibaki's Party of National Unity
(PNU).
Pre-trial judges said evidence suggested that
Ruto held a number of meetings to plan the
ethnic killings as far back as December 2006.
Initial attacks quickly led to reprisals, with
homes torched and more people hacked to
death, bringing some parts of the country to
the brink of civil war.
The ICC, the world's only independent,
permanent tribunal for war crimes, genocide
and crimes against humanity, took charge of
the cases after Nairobi failed to set up a
tribunal of its own in line with agreements
brokered by former UN secretary general Kofi
Annan.
Despite vowing cooperation with the court,
Kenyatta said over the weekend that he would
not allow both leaders to be out of the country
at the same time.
Presiding Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said that he
also would prefer for the two cases to be
staggered, possibly with each case heard for
four weeks at a time.
The cases have been mired in accusations of
witness intimidation, allegations dismissed by
the defence.
But several witnesses already having pulled
out of the trial and ICC chief prosecutor Fatou
Bensouda and rights groups have frequently
raised the issue.
Amnesty International said the start of the trial
was "an important opportunity to end impunity
for the serious crimes committed in
2007/2008
"The government's recent efforts to politicise
the ICC trials are deplorable, and must not be
allowed to affect the commencement and future
proceedings of this landmark trial," Amnesty's
Netsanet Belay said in a statement.
But there is concern in Kenya that the trials
could reopen old wounds and undo
reconciliation efforts by communities who once
fought each other in deadly battles http://news.yahoo.com/kenyan-vice-president-ruto-goes-trial-icc-021121617.html?.tsrc=lgwn

The ICC is jst a slaughter house for those perceivd as scape goats by d west. Anyway did u notice d chief judge is an ibo man? Anyi di too muchi...hehehe.FTC tins

Igbo man as the chief judge it shows Nigeria judiciary are well recognised by both local and international body, let the law take it full course

abeg wen nxt would Kenyans visit Calabar. I miss there blackish structures

Ina2k: abeg wen nxt would Kenyans visit Calabar. I miss there blackish structures

I have not been opportune to meet their ladies but I gat a feeling that they are naturally blessed

Luvly devin: I have not been opportune to meet their ladies but I gat a feeling that they are naturally blessed

Thats true

ICC always targetting poor African countries,while the Western countries get away with crimes they commit against humanities. I support the move by African countries to withdraw membership of that court until Western countries are prepared to obey the court's judgements.

Was it not this icc that gave bakassi peninsula to Cameron