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The Hague — The International Criminal Court has terminated the case against Kenya’s deputy president William Ruto and ended his trial, saying there is insufficient evidence he was involved in deadly violence that erupted after his country’s 2007 presidential elections.
Tuesday’s announcement marks the second time the court has had to admit defeat in its attempts to prosecute alleged ringleaders of the violence that left more than 1,000 people dead and forced 600,000 from their homes in Kenya.
Deputy President William Ruto had been charged alongside broadcaster Joshua Sang with murder, deportation and persecution for their alleged leading roles in the violence.
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta welcomed the ruling, saying the trial had been a “nightmare” for the nation.
Ruto is one of the most senior politicians to be tried by the ICC.
In 2014, the prosecutor dropped similar charges against Kenyatta, alleging that witnesses had been intimidated to make them change their testimony.
The case against Ruto’s co-accused, journalist Sang, was also dismissed.
Ruto and Kenyatta were on opposite sides of the 2007 election, but formed an alliance that won the 2013 election.
The ICC’s decision to “terminate” charges against Ruto effectively brings to an end the international efforts to pursue justice for the victims of violence that followed the disputed elections in 2007.
Ruto’s supporters burst into celebrations after the verdict was announced, reports Wanyama wa Chebusiri from his home town of Eldoret in western Kenya. The prosecution case Ruto was dogged by repeated setbacks.
In February judges at the ICC barred the use of recanted testimony, meaning that prior recorded witness statements could not be used by prosecutors.
Several key witnesses in the case have changed their statements, which prosecutors said was due to intimidation and bribery.
Ruto’s lawyers said he should be acquitted because so many key prosecution witnesses either dropped or changed their original statements.
ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda acknowledged that the loss of witnesses weakened the case against the deputy president. — AFP
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