This archive report was first published on 1 July 2021.
Published on July 1, 2021, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan has recused himself from leading the case against Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru, citing a potential conflict of interest.
Khan, who took over as ICC Prosecutor in June 2021, had previously represented Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto in the 2017 post-election violence case at the Hague-based court.
According to Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou, who is handling Mr Gicheru's case, Khan's recusal was informed by Article 42(7) of the Rome Statute, which states that a prosecutor or their deputy may be disqualified from a case if their impartiality might reasonably be doubted on any ground.
As a result, Deputy Prosecutor James Stewart will now lead the case against Gicheru, who is facing allegations of interfering with key witnesses in the Dr Ruto case.
Gicheru has dismissed the allegations, claiming the prosecution is relying on hearsay and that the case should not proceed to trial.
