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Annan extends Kenya election violence tribunal deadline

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Kenya has until the end of August to establish a tribunal to try the leaders behind the 2007 post-election violence, former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan told the BBC Thursday. If the country does not meet the August deadline, which was originally set for March, Annan plans to give the International Criminal Court (ICC) a sealed list of key suspects for prosecution. Annan said that Kenyan leaders are going to make another attempt to establish the tribunal following the expiration of a prior two-month extension until May. The violence arose out of demonstrations against alleged election fraud and vote-rigging that followed the narrow 2007 victory of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and resulted in the death of approximately 1,500 people. Following the contested election, Annan facilitated a power-sharing agreement between Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, which named Odinga as Kenya's first prime minister. Annan stressed the importance of the tribunal, saying: I think Kenya would be much better off with that trial taking place in their midst. They are collectively and individually responsible and they should work with the speaker and their fellow parliamentarians to establish the court for the sake of justice - the victims deserve justice.In February, the Kenyan Parliament rejected the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2009 and the Special Tribunal for Kenya Bill, 2009, which sought to establish the special tribunal. Before Annan granted his initial extension of the tribunal deadline in February, Odinga maintained that the government would be able to convene the court despite parliamentary opposition and allegations that government officials had attempted to bribe or blackmail MPs into voting for its creation.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on June 11, 2009 (boomark / email).