ICC case judges to be known in May

The four Kenyans facing charges at the International Criminal Court will know by May 12 which judges will try them.

This is after ICC registrar Silvana Arbia handed over the ruling committing the four suspects to trial to the court’s presidency on Monday.

Last week, judges rejected the request to appeal by the Kenyans facing charges of crimes against humanity.

Judges Sang-Hyun Song of Korea, Sanji Mmasenono Monageng of Botswana and Cuno Tarfusser of Italy now have 60 days from Monday to constitute a trial chamber.

The three will choose three judges to take over the cases.

The trials against Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, Mr Francis Muthaura, Mr William Ruto and Mr Joshua arap Sang are likely to start some months after the Chamber is constituted.

The trials may run for years before a verdict can be reached.

The Kenyan cases will proceed concurrently with appeals the suspects have lodged challenging the admissibility of the cases before the court.

The suspects argue that the ICC has no right to try them as the cases are before the court from a flawed process.

Appeal Chamber judges led by Ghanaian Akua Kuehenyia on February 29, rejected an appeal by the suspects to suspend the trial until their appeals are heard.

If the Appeals Chamber rules in their favour, the cases will be halted unless the prosecution seeks to open new charges against them.

Mr Ruto and Mr Sang are accused of murder, forcible transfer of people and persecution after President Kibaki was declared the winner of 2007 General Election.

Mr Kenyatta and Mr Muthaura are accused of murder, deportation or forcible transfer, persecution and rape during the chaos in which 1,133 Kenyans were killed and nearly 600,000 uprooted from their homes. Many are still living in IDP camps.