Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday rejected a request from prosecutors to further detain ex-Ivorian leader, Laurent Gbagbo.
Prosecutors had asked judges of the Hague based Court to outlaw Mr. Gbagbo from returning to his home country.
The prosecutors in a filing on Wednesday argued that should they appeal Gbagbo’s acquittal, the ICC might not be able to ensure that Ivory Coast hands him over.
But the judges rejected the arguments from the prosecutors insisting Mr. Gbagbo be set free.
Gbagbo acquitted of war crimes
The ICC judges on Tuesday ordered the release of Gbagbo, acquitting him of all war crimes charges.
Gbagbo has been serving a prison term for committing crimes against humanity. He has so far spent seven years in detention.
Wednesday’s ruling further complicates the case of the prosecutors who insist on appealing Gbagbo’s acquittal.
Last November Gbagbo’s lawyers asked the International Criminal Court to drop all charges against him. The lawyers said after years of putting the former leader on trial the prosecution has failed to prove its case.
The ICC Presiding Judge Cuno Tarfusser agreed with Gbagbo’s lawyers argument. Tarfusser said prosecutors failed to prove their case against Gbagbo and co-defendant Charles Blé Goudé.
Both men have now been ordered to be set free.
Gbagbo daughter, Marie Laurence told Reuters that her father intends returning to Ivory Coast following his acquittal.
“My father will not live in any other country than Ivory Coast. He would go back and we expect him to go back,” she said.
Why was Gbagbo arrested?
Violence erupted in Ivory Coast shortly after the 2010 elections when Mr. Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to current president, Alassane Ouattara.
Mr. Gbagbo and his wife Simone, were arrested in 2011 after a brief civil war. He was handed over to the International Criminal Court.
Gbagbo 73, became the first former head of state to be handed over to the ICC and has been on trial since 2016.
He faced four counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, persecution and other inhumane acts during the post-electoral violence between December 2010 and April 2011.
Mr. Gbagbo has however denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated.
Judge Tarfusser said “There is no need for the defence to submit further evidence as the prosecutor has not satisfied the burden of proof”.
Last August Ivory Coast’s former first lady Simone Gbagbo was also released from prison.
Her freedom came thanks to an amnesty granted by the country’s President, Alassane Ouattara. She had been serving a 20-year prison term for undermining state security.
The International Criminal Court also wants Simone to face similar charges, but Ivory Coast has refused to extradite her to The Hague.
Source: Africafeeds.com
