The African Union, Namibia and Uganda have filed separate requests at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to make observations on recanted testimony in the case against Deputy President William Ruto and Journalist Joshua Arap Sang. Read: Setback for Kenyan efforts to debate use of prior testimony at ICCICC Judges admit earlier witness statements in Ruto case In its submissions, the AU Commission claims the Prosecution’s claims contradict the views of some AU member states party to the Rome Statute. The Commission states that, “As a principal representative of an international organization operating in the sphere of international law, the AU will submit that the Prosecutor of the ICC is similarly subject to this well-settled rule of international law. It follows that any information related to these now-contested statements, circumstances and understandings, which the participating states would have been entitled to rely upon in good faith, appear relevant to the chamber’s ultimate determination of the issues on the appeal.”
The Republic of Uganda submits that it considers it desirable, and in the interest of justice, that the Chamber hears from it on several of the issues which have been certified for appeal filed by DP Ruto and Sang. “The Republic of Uganda, a State Party to the Rome Statute, requests leave to file amicus curiae submissions, pursuant to Rule 103(1) of the ICC Rules of Procedure and Evidence (‘ICC Rules’), in the appeal by William Samoei Ruto and Joshua arap Sang against the ‘Decision on Prosecution Request for Admission of Prior Recorded Testimony.”
Read: Bensouda concludes her Prosecution case in Ruto and Sang trials
