NETHERLANDS: International Criminal Court says Kenyan election result will not affect ongoing case against presidential hopeful Uhuru Kenyatta

Record ID: 362519

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: International Criminal Court says Kenyan election result will not affect ongoing case against presidential hopeful Uhuru Kenyatta
  • Date: 6th March 2013
  • Summary: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS (MARCH 6, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT SIGN READING (French): "ENTRANCE - DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND MEDIA" GATE OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT ICC SPOKESMAN FADI EL-ABDALLAH EXITING THE COURTHOUSE SECURITY CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ICC SPOKESMAN FADI EL-ABDALLAH SAYING: "So what is for the Kenyan people is
  • Embargoed: 21st March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Netherlands
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Topics: Legal System,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAAGB6ZTMVECQ1KPDH3TAWE1LR
  • Story Text: The International Criminal Court said on Wednesday (March 6) that the Kenyan election result will not affect the ongoing case against presidential hopeful Uhuru Kenyatta.
    The ICC said it finds no issue for Kenyatta to lead in the polls of Kenyan presidential elections and attend the trial in The Hague, due to start in April this year.
    ICC spokesman Fadi El-Abdallah said that the trials were unaffected by the elections.
    "So what is for the Kenyan people is for Kenyan people to decide, we respect their decision, but it has no influence on the proceedings before the ICC, because it is a purely judicial matter that is separate from the political considerations," he said.
    El-Abdallah also said that Kenyatta had been working with the court during the legal process so far, adding that Kenyatta had sought to move the case back to the pre-trial phase.
    "The defence office for Mr Muthaura and Mr Kenyatta asked the court to send the case back to the pre-trial phase, because of the withdrawal of one witness, but that is also matter for the judges to decide, for the time being, cases are both in the trial phase," he said.
    Kenyan authorities were racing to gather final election results on Wednesday after a partial count gave the lead to Kenyatta.
    The last election saw some 1,200 people killed in ethnic violence after outgoing president Mwai Kibaki was declared the victor over Prime Minister Raila Odinga amid charges of voting fraud.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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