ICC: Witness Intimidation in the Ruto and Sang Case?

Ruto and Sang ICC

William Ruto and Joshua Sang at the International Criminal Court (ICC)

Last week, the Dutch embassy in Nairobi confirmed that a Kenyan government official was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, carrying false papers. He did not enter the Netherlands but was imprisoned and then sent back to Kenya.

The Kenyan official in question would have tried to meet ICC witness 727 in the Netherlands, who is the last Kenyan prosecution witness set to testify in the Kenyan trials against Deputy President William Ruto and journalist Joshua Sang.

Witness 727 is currently hiding in the Netherlands, refusing to testify following serious intimidation, says his lawyer Goran Sluiter.

According to him, “it’s clear that the ICC has fully underestimated these cases. If the Kenyan trials had been calm and quiet, it might have been the right treatment. But now the ICC is ruled by fear of Kenya and the African Union. They should step up action against suspects.”

Many (possible) witnesses are said to have been intimidated in the Ruto and Sang trials. The case against President Uhuru Kenyatta was dropped by the Prosecution because of a lack of evidence.