Kenya Pulls Out Of ICC

….But Charges Against Kenyatta Will Still Be In Effect

Parliament of Kenya has approved a motion to withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after an emergency debate.

A bill to this effect is expected to be introduced in the next 30 days, after opposition MPs boycotted the vote.

ICC has charged President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto with crimes against humanity that stem from violence that followed disputed 2007 elections. Ruto's case is due to start in the Hague next week.

They both deny the charges, saying they are politically motivated.

However, even if Kenya withdraws its membership, the cases will continue. "A withdrawal has an effect only for the future and never for the past," the ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah told the BBC's Newsday programme.

He added that if Kenyatta and Ruto failed to co-operate, ICC judges "may decide to issue arrest warrants against these accused."

Kenya has become the first country to leave ICC.

It will be reminded, that the charges against Kenyatta and Ruto stem from violence that broke out after disputed elections in 2007, in which more than 1,000 people were killed and 600,000 forced from their homes.

BBC News