Judges at the International Criminal Court have upheld war crimes and crimes against humanity charges against Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, moving the case closer to trial, but only if he is arrested.
A panel of three judges ruled that there are “substantial grounds” to believe Kony is responsible for 29 brutal crimes, including murder, rape and sexual enslavement, all committed while he was commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army. The rebel group terrorized northern Uganda and later spread violence into parts of Central Africa.
Deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang noted that the LRA’s actions devastated entire communities, saying the “social and cultural fabric of Northern Uganda has been torn apart and it is still struggling to rebuild itself.” The session also marked the first time the ICC has held court proceedings without the accused present.
Kony gained global notoriety in 2012, after a viral online campaign exposed his crimes. Despite years of international efforts to track him down, he has never been captured and his whereabouts remain unknown.
His court-assigned attorneys argued that holding a hearing in his absence violated his right to a fair trial, claiming that the “empty chair” made it impossible to properly defend him.
The case is seen as a crucial test for the ICC in determining how to pursue justice when suspects evade arrest. The LRA uprising began in the 1980s and spread across Uganda, Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, becoming notorious for kidnapping children, mutilating civilians, and enslaving women.
