Posted By Joshua Keating Wednesday, December 15, 2010 – 9:00 AM

 

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Top news: The International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor has named six Kenyan leaders as the orchestrators of the 2008 post-election violence that left more than 1,000 people dead and has asked judges to charges them with crimes against humanity, including murder rape and torture.

Those named include William Ruto, the former education minister, who, according to Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, began plotting attacks of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki’s supporters a year before the election. Ruto’s indictment will be extremely controversial in Kenya, as he is revered as a hero by his ethnic community, the Kalenjin. 

Also accused if Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta. He is accused of orchestrating a campaign of violence against supporters of Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The other accused include Kenya’s Minister for Industrialization, Cabinet Secretary, former police commissioner, and a radio broadcaster. 

Previous ICC cases have generally focused on militias or warzones. This is also Moreno-Ocampo’s first attempt to bring a case without a request from the home country or the United Nations. He has asked judges to issue a summons rather than an arrest warrant in order to allow the accused to turn themselves in.  

Kenya’s police have been on high alert in anticipation of the announcement.