Gbagbo faces charges of crimes against humanity – ICC

Laurent Gbagbo

THE HAGUE, (Reuters) – Former Ivory Coast  President Laurent Gbagbo was arrested and flown to The Hague  overnight to face charges of crimes against humanity at the  International Criminal Court, the first former head of state to  be tried by the ICC since its inception in 2002.

Laurent Gbagbo

The world’s top war crimes court opened an investigation  last month into killings, rapes and other abuses committed  during a four-month conflict in Ivory Coast triggered by  Gbagbo’s refusal to cede power to Alassane Ouattara in an  election last year.

Fadi El Abdallah, an ICC spokesman, said Gbagbo would make  an initial appearance in court within a few days, where he would  be informed of his rights and the charges brought against him.

“Mr Gbagbo allegedly bears individual criminal  responsibility, as indirect co-perpetrator, for four counts of  crimes against humanity, namely murder, rape and other forms of  sexual violence, persecution and other inhuman acts,” the ICC  said in a statement on Wednesday.

Gbagbo’s arrest and detention in The Hague was welcomed by  human rights groups, but could prove divisive in Ivory Coast and  trigger unrest among his supporters.
The timing of the transfer is particularly sensitive, coming  just days before a Dec. 11 parliamentary election which Gbagbo’s  FPI party is already boycotting in protest at the treatment of  its top officials arrested in connection with the conflict.

Gbagbo’s aides have already branded the ICC “victor’s  justice”, saying it demonstrates the bias of international  players towards former top IMF executive Ouattara, who came to  power only after French soldiers helped him oust Gbagbo.

Gbagbo’s arrest marks a big breakthrough for the ICC  prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who has up to now struggled to  get hold of some of his biggest targets.