The International Criminal Court (ICC) has now released former Ivorian leader Laurent Gbagbo from detention.
Mr. Gbagbo is now staying in Belgium following his acquittal by the Court. That acquittal is however facing a pending appeal by prosecutors at the ICC.
Last week judges at the ICC ruled to allow for the release of Mr. Gbagbo from detention but under certain conditions.
Mr. Gbagbo’s release was to be implemented provided he is accepted by a country. Also that the country is willing to co-operate in enforcing any future decisions made by the ICC.
Belgium eventually accepted to host Mr. Gbagbo pending the appeal by the ICC prosecutors.
Gbagbo had served a prison term for committing crimes against humanity. He spent seven years in detention.
But last month the ICC acquitted Mr. Gbagbo of all war crimes charges. Gbagbo was arrested in 2011 after violence erupted in Ivory Coast shortly after the 2010 elections.
He had refused to concede defeat to current president, Alassane Ouattara.
Mr. Gbagbo and his wife Simone, were arrested after a brief civil war. He was handed over to the International Criminal Court.
Some 3,000 people were reported dead and 500,000 displaced due to the war.
Gbagbo 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.
Source: Africafeeds.com
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