ICC Schedules October 15 for Confirmation of Charges Hearing in Joseph Kony Case
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has recently made a significant decision regarding the case of Joseph Kony, the notorious Ugandan warlord and founder of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). In a ruling by the pre-trial Chamber II on Monday, the ICC judges, including Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala, Presiding, Judge Tomoko Akane, and Judge Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godínez, granted prosecutors the authority to proceed with a hearing on charges against Kony, even if he remains a fugitive, on October 15.
This decision comes in response to the prosecutor’s request to hold confirmation of charges hearing in Kony’s absence if he fails to appear. The Chamber had already determined in a previous evaluation that Kony qualifies as a “person who cannot be found” under Article 61(2)(b) of the Rome Statute.
Joseph Kony has been evading the ICC for an extended period, making him the court’s longest-standing fugitive. The charges against him include 36 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, encompassing offenses such as murder, rape, the use of child soldiers, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and forced pregnancy. Despite the gravity of these allegations, Kony vehemently denies all charges.
The LRA, under Kony’s leadership, instigated terror in Uganda for nearly two decades, conducting operations from bases in northern Uganda and neighboring countries in a protracted conflict against the government of President Yoweri Museveni. According to U.N. figures, approximately 100,000 people lost their lives in the brutal conflict. Kony’s arrest warrant was issued in 2005, marking the beginning of his status as an international fugitive.
In light of the recent ICC decision, the Chamber has instructed the ICC Registry to take the necessary steps to inform Joseph Kony about the upcoming confirmation of charges hearing in absentia scheduled for October 15, 2024. This development underscores the ongoing efforts to hold Kony accountable for the severe atrocities committed under his command. It highlights the international community’s commitment to justice in the face of grave human rights violations.
