The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally received a request by Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition to investigate the “killing and maiming” of its supporters by police.
The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) told the Sunday Nation that it has the letter detailing individuals the opposition says were killed or wounded by security officers.
The office neither confirmed nor denied if the grounds cited meet the threshold for the pre-trial chamber to authorise investigations.
It cited Article 15 of the Rome Statute that bars it from making comments or sharing details of the information.
“Under article 15 of the Rome Statute, any individual or group may send information (communication) on alleged crimes to the ICC prosecutor, who is duty bound to protect the confidentiality of the information received,” the OTP said.
''The Office of the Prosecutor, therefore, does not comment on such communications, beyond confirming receipt... if the sender has made that fact public.”
In the letter, Raila, through lawyer Paul Mwangi, wants ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan to investigate Inspector-General of Police Japhet Koome for violating the Constitution by declaring the opposition protests illegal.
The coalition has listed an alleged special squad of police created by Mr Koome to unleash terror on its supporters.
The IG in a recent response, dismissed the letter as “a mix of propaganda and half-truths”, saying it left out victims of criminals who took advantage of the protests to loot from businesses and destroy property.
“In that letter have they talked about the Kisumu businessman who was crying? Did you see him saying he was rendered bankrupt in one day? Have they talked about a supermarket called Muhindi? Have they talked about a supermarket called Muhindi Mweusi? In one day somebody became a pauper by losing Sh20 million. In that letter, has that been mentioned or is it just mentioning Koome?” he posed.
