Opening of Ruto and Sang trial, 10 September 2013: Practical information for the media
Situation: Situation in the Republic of Kenya
Case: The Prosecutor v. William Samoei Ruto and Joshua Arap Sang
The opening of the trial in the case The Prosecutor v. William Samoei Ruto and Joshua Arap Sang is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 10 September 2013, at 09:30 (The Hague local time), before Trial Chamber V(a) of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The hearings will be held from 10 September to 4 October and from 14 October to 1 November 2013, in the presence of the accused. A schedule for further hearings will be established in due course by Trial Chamber V(a), which is composed of Judges Chile Eboe-Osuji, Presiding, Olga Herrera Carbuccia and Robert Fremr.
Mr Ruto and Mr Sang are accused of crimes against humanity (murder, deportation or forcible transfer of population and persecution) allegedly committed in Kenya in the context of the 2007-2008 post-election violence.
A Questions and Answers document on the opening of the trial is available here.
For further information on the trial, click here.
Webstreaming of the hearings
The hearings will be held in open session unless ordered otherwise. The proceedings can be followed with a 30-minute delay on the ICC website at:
Hearing summaries, satellite broadcast and audiovisual programmes
On 10 September 2013, images of the opening of the trial (the first 30 minutes) will be available by satellite 90 minutes after the beginning of the hearing on 10 September 2013. A 30-minute summary of the opening statements will be available later on the same day (audio: floor, original language from the Courtroom). On 11 September 2013, a summary of further opening statements will be available by satellite (30 minutes, audio: floor). The precise times and frequencies for satellite broadcasting will be published here.
Audio and video recordings of the entire opening statements will be available on the same day on the ICC YouTube channel for viewing, and audio and video files will be available for downloading in broadcast quality on the Court’s FTP server.
The English-language radio and television programme “In the Courtroom” will be available for downloading in broadcast quality on the Court’s FTP server and for viewing on the ICC YouTube channel on a weekly basis.
In advance of the trial, the ICC is also producing “ICC in Focus”, a new television and radio series available for downloading in broadcast quality on the Court’s FTP server and for viewing on the Ruto and Sang case playlist of the ICC YouTube Channel.
Attending the hearings
Journalists wishing to cover the trial should send a request by email to: [email protected], indicating the dates on which they wish to attend. On 10 and 11 September, all journalists must present a valid press card at the public entrance of the Court, located at Regulusweg, no later than 09:00.
Members of the diplomatic corps, NGOs and other members of the public wishing to attend the hearing should send a request by email to: [email protected], indicating the dates on which they wish to attend. On 10 and 11 September, attendees must present a valid passport or valid ID with a photo at the public entrance of the Court, located at Regulusweg, no later than 09:00.
Please note that given the expected high attendance, individuals who do not confirm their attendance in advance cannot be guaranteed access to the hearing.
Media Centre
The Court’s Media Centre will open on 10 and 11 September at 08:30 and will close three hours after the end of the hearing. On the following days of trial, the Media Centre will open daily at 09:00 and will close two hours after the end of the hearing.
The area can seat up to 64 people and includes plasma TV screens; a Wi-Fi Internet service; cards (plug + play) for those without Wi-Fi capability in their PC or laptop; 6 computers with Internet access; and 7 telephones that may be used free of charge for internal calls. For external calls, journalists are advised to use their mobiles or purchase 0800 pre-paid phone cards beforehand. Such cards are available at newsagents and train stations.
Please note that phone cards cannot be obtained in the vicinity of, or at, the ICC. Mobile phones cannot be used in the public gallery.
Photography
Please note that it will not be possible to take photos in the courtroom before the start of the proceedings. However, the Court will provide to all those currently subscribing to receive ICC press releases a link to a selection of high resolution digital photos taken by the photographer (agency pool) during the hearings. Pictures are also posted on the ICC’s Flickr account.
Recording facilities
The Court will provide feed from Courtroom I to the hot-desk area of the Media Centre. The tables in the Media Centre contain plugs for the video and audio feed from the courtroom (4:3, PAL): BNC video output and XLR audio output. You can record from three possible audio channels: 1 - floor, 2 - French and 3 - English. Each table contains an audio plug. If you need to record on two channels, please use another plug at another table for the second channel. The ICC does not have spare cables available for the crews.
Media representatives from Kenya are advised to bring adapters to plug in their electronic equipment, as the power sockets are a different size. The ICC does not provide adapters.
Feed for the SNG trucks
SNG trucks can record the signal from Courtroom II from the distribution box placed in the media parking facilities (see below). Please note that there is no power supply available at the car park and that it is therefore necessary to have a generator.
Parking facilities
Media representatives can use the parking facilities located at the intersection of Regulusweg and Wegastraat.
For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail at: [email protected].
For information related to audio-visual matters, please contact Violeta Willemsen-Curcic, AV Producer, at + 31 70 515 8422 or at [email protected]
You can also follow the Court’s activities on YouTube and Twitter