ICC to trial LRA warlord Joseph Kony in absentia
The International Criminal Court (ICC) will commence the hearing of confirmation of charges against the elusive Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel leader Joseph Kony in absentia.
However, the judges have set October 15 this year as the date for the commencement of the confirmation of charges hearing against Kony in his absence should he not appear.
The ruling comes more than a year after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan petitioned Trial Chamber IX, seeking to revive the case against Kony, 18 years after an arrest warrant was issued against him.
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Additionally, he faces 33 counts of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed between July 1, 2002, and December 31, 2005, in northern Uganda.
The decision was jointly delivered by judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala, presiding judge Tomoko Akane, and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godínez. The judges had previously ruled on November 23, 2023, that Kony qualifies as a person who cannot be found within the meaning of Article 61(2)(b) of the Rome Statute.
This is the first time the Hague-based court has decided to hear the charges against a suspect accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in absentia.
The court also noted that it had found all reasonable steps to inform Kony of the charges against him as set out in the document containing the charges had been taken, within the meaning of the statute.
In conclusion, the court has since instructed the registry to initiate notification efforts and outreach activities with respect to the date for the commencement of the confirmation of charges and also to commence the process of selecting counsel to represent the rights and interests of Kony.
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