ICC Dismisses Kenyans’ Bid to Have Charges Dropped

Posted March 9th, 2012 at 1:00 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

The International Criminal Court has rejected an appeal by four prominent Kenyans to have charges against them dropped.

The decision means Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, lawmaker William Ruto, former civil service chief Francis Muthaura and radio executive Joshua arap Sang will be tried on charges of crimes against humanity.

The four are accused of helping to organize violence that erupted across Kenya after the disputed 2007 presidential election.

ICC judges ordered the four to stand trial in January but the Kenyans had appealed. The court's pre-trial chamber dismissed that appeal Friday.

The decision likely has the greatest impact on Kenyatta and Ruto, both of whom have said they plan to run for president.

Some 1,300 people were killed and more than 300,000 displaced because of riots and ethnic violence following the 2007 election.

The unrest did not fully stop until incumbent leader Mwai Kibaki and challenger Raila Odinga reached a power-sharing deal that made Mr. Kibaki president and Mr. Odinga prime minister.

Chief ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo began an investigation in 2010, after Kenyan lawmakers failed to establish a tribunal to try the suspected main perpetrators of the violence.