President Uhuru Kenyatta seeks ICC nod for video link
What you need to know:
- The defence lawyers argued that the EAC meeting was arranged before the judges requested him to appear at the status conference.
- In the event the chamber decides that he has to attend, President Kenyatta applied for the status conference to be rescheduled to a later date convenient to all parties.
- Attorney-General Githu Muigai is required to attend the first day of the status conference on October 7 over the government’s cooperation with the prosecution.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) to excuse him from attending the status conference on October 8.
Instead, the President wants to be allowed to follow the proceedings via video link. He also wants Trial Chamber V (B) to reschedule the status conference to a date after October 9.
The change of date would allow him to attend the East African Community Northern Corridor Infrastructure Summit in Kampala, Uganda, on October 8 and Uganda’s independence day on October 9.
“In his capacity as president of Kenya and also chairman of the Heads of State of the East African Community, Mr Kenyatta is due to attend the Northern Corridor Infrastructure Summit. This meeting is attended by the regional Heads of State and is of great importance and significance,” defence lawyers Steven Kay and Gillian Higgins said.
The defence lawyers argued that the EAC meeting was arranged before the judges requested him to appear at the status conference.
JUDGES SUMMON UHURU
Judges on September 19 directed that the President appear in person.
But President Kenyatta on Thursday informed the chamber that he was explicitly waiving his right of attendance and will be represented by his legal team, which has full conduct and authority over his case.
“In view of the nature of his duties that day and the fact that Mr Kenyatta will be in Kampala, it would not be appropriate for the defence to submit an alternative form of presence at the proceedings in the form of the video link,” the lawyers stated.
They said the commitments were extraordinary public duties at the highest national level.
“It is important to Kenya’s national interests that Mr Kenyatta as Head of State represent his people effectively at the meeting on the 8 October 2014, and is present to show their support for an important neighbouring state on the day of celebration on 9 October 2014,” the defence lawyers added.
In the event the chamber decides that he has to attend, President Kenyatta applied for the status conference to be rescheduled to a later date convenient to all parties.
AG ATTENDANCE
He also requested the chamber to allow him to attend the status conference by video link and “to perform his extraordinary public duties as president of Kenya to the greatest extent possible while causing the least inconvenience to the court.”
In justifying the use of video-link, President Kenyatta said travelling to The Hague would take two to three days which would significantly impact his duties as Head of State and chairman of the East African Community.
The prosecution and the victims’ lawyer will respond to the President’s request.
Attorney-General Githu Muigai is required to attend the first day of the status conference on October 7 over the government’s cooperation with the prosecution.
