A look at past state leaders who have faced international justice

Criminals can avoid countries that are ICC signatories

Three state leaders have sat before the ICC

Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo

Prosecution’s case was “exceptionally weak”

ICC’s power limitations

You may have heard that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has limited power when it comes to jurisdiction. This is because they only have power in countries that recognise it.

Criminals can avoid countries that are ICC signatories

That means that a lot of wanted criminals by the ICC can get away with their crimes so long as they don’t set foot in the territories that are signatories to the court.

World leaders avoiding justice

This results in most state leaders avoiding justice, powerful as they are. However, that is not always the case.

Three state leaders have sat before the ICC

In the International Criminal Court’s 22-year history, only three state leaders have sat in The Hague before the ICC.

Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo

In 2016 former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo became the first former head of state to go on trial before the ICC. He faced charges of crimes against humanity related to post-election violence over his refusal to accept defeat at the polls in 2010 following a decade in power.

Prosecution’s case was “exceptionally weak”

After a three-year trial, Gbagbo was acquitted in 2019. Judges ruled the prosecution's case linking him to the post-election bloodshed that killed some 3,000 people as "exceptionally weak", Reuters reported.

Former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta

Another state leader whose appearance in The Hague didn’t end in a conviction was former Kenyan president’s Uhuru Kenyatta, who sat before the ICC in a pre-trial hearing in 2014.

Five charges of crimes against humanity

He had five charges of crimes against humanity for provoking ethnic tensions before he became president.

The ICC dropped the case

When he came into power, however, the prosecution withdrew the charges and blamed the decision on political interference with witnesses, according to Reuters.

Former Kosovo president

Finally, the most recent case is the trial against former Kosovo president Hashim Thaçi, which started in April, 2023 and is still ongoing.

Leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army

Considered a hero by compatriots for being the leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), the 1998-1999 insurgency against Serbian rule that led to independence, he’s being charged for suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict.

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