There's a Lawyer Petitioning the Hague Court Over the Unfair Trial of...Jesus

A Kenyan lawyer has petitioned the International Court of Justice in the Hague asking it to declare that the trial of Jesus 2,000 years ago was invalid, because it was conducted in a manner contrary to the principles of a fair trial, media in Kenya and Israel report.

Lawyer Dola Indidis who is a former spokesman for Kenya’s Judiciary says, “I want a declaratory judgment declaration that the trial judgment and sentence entered were badly done and therefore null and void.”

Indidis first filed his case on behalf of the ‘Friends of Jesus’ in 2007 in Kenya’s High Court in Nairobi, but the court ruled it had no jurisdiction.

He then filed his case at the UN’s top judicial body in the Hague against Tiberius (Emperor of Rome 42 BC-37AD), Pontius Pilate, a selection of Jewish elders, King Herod, the Republic of Italy and the State of Israel, the Jerusalem Post reports.

According to Kenya Citizen TV, Indidis is also suing Palestine, which was recognized last year by the UN as a non-member observer state.

Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, by Marco Palmezzano, painting circa 1490 (Public domain image via Wikipedia)

Standard Media reports that the International Court of Justice (IJC) “has constituted a panel” to hear the case, but the website Legal Cheek questioned that claim after it contacted the ICJ which denied it was considering the case.

"The ICJ has no jurisdiction for such a case. The ICJ settles disputes between states. It is not even theoretically possible for us to consider this case,” the IJC spokesperson said.

Indidis asserts that Jesus’ trial was conducted in a manner that contradicted the laws of the time. He says that if given a chance to make his case, he will depend on the Bible as his evidence.

Sylvia Chebet of Kenya Citizen TV said in her report on the case: “According to the scriptures, the tribulations that culminated in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was all the will of God. That may be the case, but Dola Indidis insists Jesus Christ suffered gross violation of human rights and for that justice must be done.”

“The way he was made to die was not lawful,” Indidis says. “It’s not too late to seek justice for the son of God.”

Reporter Chebet in an interview told Indidis, “Your pursuit of this case makes one wonder whether you’re in the right state of mind. Actually people find it insane.”

“I know as a matter of fact and a matter of truth that we have a good case with a high probability of success,” he said.

Legal Cheek reports:

Indidis argues that the key figures involved in Jesus' crucifixion "erred in law", while the modern states of Italy and Israel have apparently been named in the action because of their incorporation of aspects of the laws of the Roman Empire (which were in force at the time of Jesus' death).

“I filed the case because it’s my duty to uphold the dignity of Jesus and I have gone to the ICJ to seek justice for the man from Nazareth. His selective and malicious prosecution violated his human rights through judicial misconduct, abuse of office bias and prejudice,” Indidis told The Nairobian.

“It was wrong for Pilate to witness the accused being beaten,” Indidis said. “A judge must stand above all people and all forms of irregularities.”

According to news reports, the lawyer is also challenging the prosecution of the trial, including the mode of questioning and evidence, as well as the sentencing of Jesus.

Indidis wants the court to declare “that the proceedings before the Roman courts were a nullity in law for they did not conform to the rule of law at the material time and any time thereafter.”

“Some of those present spat in his face, struck him with their fists, slapped him, taunted him, and pronounced him worthy of death,” he added.

Indidis says the sentence handed down was incorrect, because he believes that under the Galilean law 2,000 years ago, the sentence for blasphemy was stoning to death, not crucifixion.

“Blasphemy against the God of Jews was not even a crime under Roman law. The judge passed the wrong sentence,” he says.

Indidis outlines the thinking behind his petition in the interview below with Kenya Citizen TV: