For Immediate Release
Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta appeared today at the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he faces charges of crimes against humanity for his role in violence that followed the 2007 election.
"Kenyatta’s participation at the ICC is a significant step forward in holding even the most powerful officials accountable for their actions," said Karen Naimer, director of the Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR). "But the ICC will hear no more than a few cases, so prosecutions at the local level are also essential to ensure all perpetrators of these grave crimes are brought to justice."
PHR recently published a study about post-election violence in Kenya, which found a systematic rise in rape cases during the post-election period. PHR has been training medical professionals, and law enforcement and judicial officials in Kenya on collecting and preserving forensic medical evidence in sexual violence cases in order to improve local prosecutions.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.