Hague trials - The International Criminal Court (ICC) said Thursday its Appeal Chamber would, 30 August, rule on the Kenyan government’s objection to the trial of six key personalities at the Hague. The judges pledged to hold a public session during its rulings to the appeal lodged by the Kenyan authorities, which challenged an earlier decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber ruling, which rejected the Kenyan government’s objections.

Lawyers representing Kenya argued that the ICC Judges did not allow them a chance to have an oral argument before the Court, an issue that could alter their case.

In a statement, the ICC press division said the Chamber would deliver, in public session, its judgments on the appeals submitted by the Government of Kenya against the decisions of Pre-Trial Chamber II ruling on the challenge to the admissibility.

The Court is set to begin hearings in the two cases involving The Prosecutor versus William Samoei Ruto, Henry Kiprono Kosgey and Joshua Arap Sang and The Prosecutor versus Francis Kirimi Muthaura, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and Mohammed Hussein Ali.

On 30 May, 2011, Pre-Trial Chamber II rejected the applications of the Kenyan Government, dated 31 March, 2011, challenging the admissibility of the two cases.

The cases involve the organization of post-election violence in Kenya, which led to the killing of 1,300 people, mostly by organized gangs.

The ICC Prosecutor has recently shocked authorities in Kenya after it alleged the attack plans were drawn by officials close to the President’s office, adding that the attackers may have been ferried to the scenes of crime in army trucks.

The Prosecutor, who was expected to disclose evidence to the suspects ahead of the 1 Sept. confirmation of charges hearing, claims Ruto, a former prominent minister formally sacked in a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, led an armed wing.

Kenya sought to invoke the principle of complementarity between ICC and the national judicial systems as grounds for challenging the admissibility of the cases.

Pre-Trial Chamber II ruled that, “in the absence of information which substantiates the Government of Kenya’s challenge that there are ongoing investigations” against the suspects, the cases were admissible.

Pana 26/08/2011