This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/06/world/africa/uhuru-kenyatta-kenya-international-criminal-court-withdraws-charges-of-crimes-against-humanity.html
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Uhuru Kenyatta Faced Allegations of Crimes Against Humanity | Uhuru Kenyatta Faced Allegations of Crimes Against Humanity |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| LONDON — The International Criminal Court in The Hague announced on Friday that its chief prosecutor has withdrawn charges of crimes against humanity against President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. | LONDON — The International Criminal Court in The Hague announced on Friday that its chief prosecutor has withdrawn charges of crimes against humanity against President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. |
| The announcement by Florence Olara, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, appeared to represent both a triumph for Mr. Kenyatta and a display of the court’s challenges in pursuing cases against leaders accused of crimes. | The announcement by Florence Olara, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, appeared to represent both a triumph for Mr. Kenyatta and a display of the court’s challenges in pursuing cases against leaders accused of crimes. |
| Ms. Olara announced the dropping of charges to The Associated Press shortly after Kenyan television reported the news. | Ms. Olara announced the dropping of charges to The Associated Press shortly after Kenyan television reported the news. |
| Mr. Kenyatta has been accused of an array of charges relating to a wave of ethnic violence after elections in 2007 in which more than 1,000 people died. | Mr. Kenyatta has been accused of an array of charges relating to a wave of ethnic violence after elections in 2007 in which more than 1,000 people died. |
| The collapse of the case is a blow to the credibility of the court. The court’s prosecution office has carried out nine full investigations since its establishment in 2002, all of them against figures from Africa, and has arrested just seven suspects, according to The Associated Press. | The collapse of the case is a blow to the credibility of the court. The court’s prosecution office has carried out nine full investigations since its establishment in 2002, all of them against figures from Africa, and has arrested just seven suspects, according to The Associated Press. |
| On Wednesday, judges gave prosecutors a week to substantiate or withdraw the charges. | On Wednesday, judges gave prosecutors a week to substantiate or withdraw the charges. |
| In a court filing quoted by Reuters, the prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said, “The evidence has not improved to such an extent that Mr. Kenyatta’s alleged criminal responsibility can be proven.” | In a court filing quoted by Reuters, the prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said, “The evidence has not improved to such an extent that Mr. Kenyatta’s alleged criminal responsibility can be proven.” |
| In a first reaction to the announcement, Mr. Kenyatta said that he was “excited” but that he also wanted charges against his deputy, William Ruto, to be dropped, Reuters reported. | |
| In October, Mr. Kenyatta made a reluctant appearance before the three international judges who decided the future of the case. | |
| At the time, prosecutors said the case could not continue until the Kenyan government ended its obstruction and provided evidence that had been requested more than two years ago. The defense insisted that the case had failed. | |
| Mr. Kenyatta had asked to follow the hearing by video link, as he had before, rather than travel to The Hague. But the judges insisted on his presence, saying the case had reached a “critical juncture.” But he did not speak in court, and it remained unclear why he had been called. | |
| Fergal Gaynor, a lawyer representing the victims in the case, said in October that “one of the most troubling aspects of this case has been the intimidation of witnesses.” The Kenyan authorities were accused of causing delays in the proceedings, refusing repeated requests for information and intimidating witnesses, causing some to withdraw for fear of reprisals. | |
| “The victims are entitled to know who interfered with witnesses, at whose instigation and for what reason,” Mr. Gaynor told the court. |