(3 minutes read)
· The International Criminal Court (ICC) allowed formerIvory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo to leave Belgium under certainconditions following his acquittal last year connected withpost-electoral violence that killed 3,000 people.
· Gbagbo and his deputy Charles Ble Goude were cleared ofcrimes a year ago. The charge against them was crime againsthumanity.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) allowed former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo to leave Belgium under certain conditions following his acquittal last year connected with post-electoral violence that killed 3,000 people.
Gbagbo and his deputy Charles Ble Goude were cleared of crimes a year ago. The charge against them was crime against humanity. The crime was committed some eight years ago after the former West African strongman’s arrest. The case was then transferred to The Hague-based ICC. Belgium agreed to host Gbagbo after he was released in February last year under strict conditions including that he would return to court for a prosecution appeal against his acquittal. Gbagbo could travel to any country, if the host country is willing to receive him.
Gbagbo’s return to Ivory Coast seems to be uncertain, where his Ivorian Popular Front Party (FPI) is preparing to contest presidential elections in October. Gbagbo’s lawyers had pleaded for his unconditional release. However, The Hague-based court rejected the demand. The Court revoked certain restrictions on him including banning travel beyond the territorial limits of the municipality of the receiving State without the explicit and prior authorisation of the Court.
