The pre-trial chamber III of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a decision setting the date of the confirmation of charges hearing in the trial of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebel leader, Joseph Kony.
According to a statement issued on Monday, the confirmation of charges hearing at the Hague-based Court is scheduled to commence on 9 September 2025 but in the absence of the suspect. Kony who remains elusive, is suspected of 36 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in northern Uganda.
On 8 July 2005, the Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC issued a warrant of arrest against Joseph Kony, which was amended on 27 September 2005.
On 19 January 2024, the Prosecution submitted the ‘Document Containing the
Charges’ (the ‘DCC’). Thereafter, on 12 September 2024, the Chamber vacated the date of the confirmation of charges hearing, and postponed the hearing until further notice.
On 29 October 2024, the Chamber issued the ‘Decision on the criteria for holding confirmation of charges proceedings in absentia, and on 12 December 2024, the Chamber issued the ‘Decision Setting the Disclosure
Regime’ but also the ‘Decision on the Document Containing the Charges and the “Victims’ Concerns on the Document Containing the Charges”’
“In light of the above, the Chamber decides that the confirmation of charges hearing shall commence on 9 September 2025. A decision defining the specific schedule will be issued in due course.” The document shared on the Court’s online portal notes.
The document signed by three judges: Althea Violet Alexis-Windsor (Presiding Judge), Iulia Antoanella Motoc and Haykel Ben Mahfoudh, notes that activities shall start as soon as the Chamber sets the date for the confirmation of charges hearing and shall be concluded within 30 days.
The document also highlights orders of Court to the Registry to: (i) commence its outreach and notification activities regarding the date of the commencement of the confirmation of charges hearing, as set in the present decision, as of 6 January 2025; (ii) complete these activities by no later than 7 February 2025; and (iii) report to the Chamber by no later than 14 February 2025.
While the cases will be confirmed in Kony’s absence, Mr Peter Haynes was picked to be his defense counsel and Mr Karim Khan will lead the prosecution bench.
Other orders were issued to Kony’s defence team, the prosecution and, to the extent applicable, OPCV and/or,
once appointed, the legal representatives of victims to comply with the time limits defined in the present decision.
