ICC to hire lawyer for LRA boss Kony
Passersby walk under a projection showing LRA leader Joseph Kony, in New York on April 20, 2012. Photo/Reuters
What you need to know:
- The court stresses that all suspects, including Joseph Kony, are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has put out an advert, calling for suitable persons to be hired as defence lawyer for wanted rebel leader Joseph Kony.
The court registry in its advert reasons that all their suspects, including Kony, the leader of the Lord Resistance Army (LRA), are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“All ICC suspects, including Mr Kony, are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and they are entitled to legal representation when appearing before the court. Because the ICC has not received any valid power of attorney from counsel claiming to represent Mr Kony and given that Mr Kony is considered to be a person who cannot be found, the judges of Pre-Trial Chamber II will appoint a counsel to act on Mr Kony’s behalf,” read in part the ICC’s advert.
It added: “Lawyers interested in being appointed as counsel for Mr Kony should submit an expression of interest by May 16, 2024 at 17.30 Central European time latest.”
A defence lawyer is urgently needed to represent the rights and interests of Kony during the confirmation of charges proceedings before the court in October whether in his presence or absence.
Background
On November 24, 2022, the ICC chief prosecutor requested the court to hold a hearing on confirmation of charges against Kony in his absence since he has been elusive to the court for long.
The chief prosecutor said it was the first time the office of the chief ICC prosecutor made such a request to the court to prosecute a suspected warlord in his/ her absentia.
On March 4, Pre-Trial Chamber II issued a decision on the prosecutor’s request to hold confirmation of charges hearing in the case against Kony in his absence, should he not appear by October 15.
The investigation into the situation in Uganda was opened in 2004.
This saw an arrest warrant against Kony, the founder and leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, issued in 2005 for 33 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
However, the arrest warrant remains unexecuted to this day after Kony eluded arrest, for more than 19 years.
The allegations against Kony, who is believed to be hiding in the jungles of the Central African Republic include murder, cruel treatment, enslavement, rape, and attacks against the civilian population.
The two-decade war that he instituted against government forces, claimed more than 100,000 lives and displaced more than 1.5 million people.
