Uhuru Kenyatta had been indicted in connection with post-election ethnic violence in Kenya in 2007-08, in which 1,200 people died.
Prosecutors said the Kenyan government had impeded their investigation.
They accused it of refusing to hand over documentary evidence vital to the case and said potential witnesses had been threatened and intimidated.
Uhuru Kenyatta was the first head of state to appear before the court, after he was charged in 2012.
The prosecution repeatedly asked for more time to build its case, saying witnesses had been bribed and intimidated, and the Kenyan government had refused to hand over documents vital to the case.
On Wednesday Dec 03,2014, the ICC gave prosecutors a week to decide whether to pursue their case or withdraw charges, saying further delays would be "contrary to the interests of justice".
But on Friday Dec 05,2014 prosecutors said the evidence had "not improved to such an extent that Uhuru Kenyatta's alleged criminal responsibility can be proven beyond reasonable doubt"
With the dropping of the charges against Uhuru Kenyatta, some of the victims may feel it makes a mockery of justice.
Uhuru Kenyatta denied inciting ethnic violence following the disputed 2007 elections in order to secure victory for then-President Mwai Kibaki.
Uhuru Kenyatta has repeatedly accused the ICC of pursuing a political prosecution.
On Friday, he again criticised the legal process, saying: "The prosecutor opted to selectively pursue cases in a blatantly biased manner that served vested interests and undermined justice.
"As a result, the court has had to pay a steep reputational price, which it will continue to face unless a serious and systemic rethinking of the international justice framework is undertaken."
Uhuru Kenyatta won Kenya's presidential elections in 2013, with the backing of Mwai Kibaki.
Uhuru Kenyatta used the ICC case against him to rally nationalist support by accusing the Dutch-based court of meddling in Kenya's affairs
No comments:
Post a Comment