War crimes trial of Kenyan VP adjourned over hostage crisis <http://www.reuters.com/> Description: ReutersBy Anthony Deutsch | Reuters 15 minutes ago
By Anthony Deutsch
THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Judges at the International Criminal Court on Monday
adjourned the trial of Kenyan Vice President William Ruto for a week to
allow him to return home and deal with the hostage crisis at a Nairobi mall
that has left at least 68 people dead.
Ruto and Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, face charges of crimes against
humanity in relation to their role in coordinating a wave of violence that
swept Kenya in the aftermath of the country's contested 2007 elections.
The court's unusually swift decision was taken during an emergency session
after prosecutors said they had no objection to a short delay in
proceedings, and a representative for the witnesses broke down in tears in
the courtroom, saying Ruto should be allowed to attend to the urgent matter.
"In light of the circumstances and the views heard so far, the chamber
decided to excuse Mr. Ruto from the proceedings," said presiding judge Chile
Eboe-Osuji. "For the moment the excusal is for a period of one week only,
subject to any further requests."
Ruto was to catch a plane from the Netherlands at 11 a.m. local time, said
his defence lawyer, Karim Khan.
In requesting his client's immediate release, Khan said the world would
never have accepted the absence of U.S. leaders when the Twin Towers were
struck on September 11, 2001.
"This is Kenya's 9/11," he said.
(The story corrects name of presiding judge.)
(Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni and Dr. Kiiza Besigye Uganda is in anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni na Dk. Kiiza Besigye Uganda ni katika machafuko"
<<image001.jpg>>
_______________________________________________ Ugandanet mailing list [email protected] http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. ---------------------------------------
