Overview
- Prosecutors in The Hague are presenting evidence on 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to the Lord’s Resistance Army’s 2002–2005 campaign in northern Uganda.
- Court‑appointed counsel Peter Haynes urged judges to impose a conditional stay, arguing the defense cannot properly challenge evidence without instructions from the absent accused.
- Under ICC rules, no trial can occur without the suspect in custody, so any confirmation decision would only prepare the case for trial if Joseph Kony is eventually captured.
- Victims’ representatives and survivors outlined alleged atrocities to preserve the record and seek recognition for communities devastated by LRA killings, abductions and sexual violence.
- Kony remains a fugitive with a small contingent thought to be in remote areas near the CAR–Sudan border, and legal observers view the in‑absentia hearing as a potential model for other hard‑to‑detain suspects.