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ICC DEPOSIT 39 COUNTS ON JOSEPH KONY.
An international criminal court hearing into charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Ugandan fugitive rebel leader Joseph Kony has begun with accounts of atrocities allegedly committed by his Lord’s Resistance Army.
By Ojok Walter
LCC Reporter
An international criminal court hearing into charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Ugandan fugitive rebel leader Joseph Kony has begun with accounts of atrocities allegedly committed by his Lord’s Resistance Army.
The ICC’s first in-absentia hearing will confirm charges but cannot progress to a trial in Kony’s absence.
According to the hearing which started yesterday, the warlord faces 39 counts, including murder, rape, sexual slavery, enslavement and torture, allegedly committed in northern Uganda between July 2002 and December 2005 in Lango, Acholi and Teso sub-regions.
Ms Leonie Von Braun the senior trial lawyer of the office of prosecutor during the opening session confirmed the charges hearing of cases against Kony, held in his absence.
Von said Kony called the Acholi people stupid and wished them all dead for supporting president Museveni and ordered his army to wreak havoc on civilians declaring that only the LRA should remain in Acholi territory.
Defence lawyer, Peter Haynes raised procedural concerns arguing that trying a suspect in absentia was formally impermissible and legally incorrect because he cannot challenge the evidence against Kony without his instructions.
Ugandan defence lawyer, Geoffrey Borris Anyuru clarified that the hearing was not a trial and would not result in conviction or reparations.
Anyuru also questioned whether the proceedings would aid Mr Kony’s capture, noting that efforts to apprehend him have failed in the last 20 years
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