KENYA/ICCUhuru Kenyatta elected president despite ICC indictment: Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya’s first president, was finally declared winner of the country’s March 4 presidential election by a narrow margin. During his campaign, he had called on Kenyans to vote for him as part of a “vote of no confidence” in the ICC. He and his running mate William Ruto are both accused by the Court of fuelling violence that followed 2007 elections in Kenya. Meanwhile Kenyatta’s trial, which had been due to start April 11, was postponed to July 9, to allow the judges time to examine issues raised by the defence. Ruto’s trial was also postponed from April 10 to May 28.
FRANCETowards a first Rwandan genocide trial in France: French authorities have requested the indictment of Captain Pascal Simbikangwa before the Paris criminal court for complicity in genocide and in crimes against humanity committed in Rwanda between April and July 1994. This step could lead to the first trial in France of a Rwandan genocide suspect.
RWANDAUwinkindi trial postponed again: The trial of Pastor Jean Uwinkindi, first ICTR accused to be transferred to Rwanda, has been postponed to Monday March 20. It had been due to start on March 4, following a previous postponement in January, but was again put back following a defence request.
NEXT WEEK ICC : From Monday to Friday the defence will continue presenting its case in the trial of Congolese Senator and former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba. The hearings are expected to take place behind closed doors, owing to concerns for the safety of witnesses.
RWANDA : On Monday March 11, former Justice Minister Agnès Ntamabyariro will plead her appeal before the Supreme Court against her life sentence for genocide. She is the only member of the interim government in place from April-July 1994 to have been tried in Rwanda.
ER/JC