Prayers are conducted before Ruto went into the court for Friday’s hearing of this ICC case
Deputy President William Ruto has asked the
International Criminal Court (ICC) judges presiding over his case to try
him in the open for his mother’s sake.
Through his defence counsel Karim Khan, Ruto said
that he wants his mother to be able to ascertain for herself that he is
being falsely accused.
“Particularly with the mother who is 80 years of age… of course Mr
Ruto wants to reassure his mother that she has peace that this is a son
to be proud of, not a son to be ashamed of,” Khan argued.
He therefore asked the judges to take this into consideration when
they give their ruling whether or not the rest of the prosecution’s
witnesses should give their testimony in-camera as witness P0536 has.
And your honours a decision may be rendered whenever, it could be one
year… it could be more, but as the trial unfolds let every person
observing make their own assessment regarding the veracity of the
claims,” Khan implored.
Joshua arap Sang’s lawyer Katwa Kigen joined Khan in making this plea
on behalf of his client who he said was psychologically, ‘traumatised,’
by the bench’s decision to allow Witness P0536 to give her testimony in
private.
“With all the words I can use I am unable to describe the pain he’s
going through in the manner of the closed proceedings that have the
effect of suggesting that he has absolutely no rights in terms of having
his situation understood by people who matter to him,” Kigen submitted.
He explained that prior to his trial, Sang had been barred for
discussing the specifics of the case against him with anyone including
the members of his family but had been hopeful that he would be given a
public hearing.
“The allegations against my client have been treated confidentially
all along to the extent that much as he may be aware of the case against
him he’s not allowed to tell his family members, he’s not allowed to
tell his acquaintance, he’s not allowed to tell anybody else,” Kigen
impressed upon the court.
Capital
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