Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) said on Tuesday, September 27, that it was concerned about the sudden death of lawyer Paul Gicheru, who was facing charges of witness interference at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The lawyer was found dead at his home in Karen, Nairobi, on Monday night.
The cause of his death is yet to be established but police reports indicate that he had foam in his mouth.
In a brief statement, KHRC termed Gicheru’s death as ‘untimely and shocking’.
The commission called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to conduct a speedy and conclusive probe into the lawyer’s death.
“While the full details surrounding this death are still emerging, we remain concerned with the shocking news of the untimely death of Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru who was facing charges of witness interference at the International Criminal Court,” KHRC said.
“We call on DCI and National Police to conduct swift and conclusive investigations into the death of Paul Gicheru.”
While the full details surrounding this death are still emerging, we remain concerned with the shocking news of the untimely death of Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru who was facing charges of witness interference at the International Criminal Court. https://t.co/KcGRAFtwJ6
— KHRC (@thekhrc) September 26, 2022
Gicheru surrenders to ICC
Gicheru surrendered to Dutch authorities in the Hague, Netherlands, on November 2, 2020, five years after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him and his co-suspect, Philip Kipkoech Bett.
He was facing trial after the court confirmed six charges against him in July 2021.
Pre-Trial Chamber A, composed of Judge Sophie Alapini-Gansou, stated that the prosecution had sufficient evidence that the accused person tampered with prosecution witnesses through bribery and corruption in the failed case against President William Ruto and radio journalist Joshua Arap Sang.
In June this year, both the prosecution and defence teams made their final submissions on the matter. The court is yet to deliver its verdict.
In his submissions, Gicheru pleaded with the court to dismiss the case against him saying he was innocent.
The court released Gicheru to Kenya on February 1, 2021, with restrictive conditions on his liberty.
Ruto and Sang were charged with instigating violence after a disputed 2007 election when at least 1,200 people lost their lives and 600,000 others displaced.
The case against the two was vacated in 2016 for lack of sufficient evidence.
