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updated 10:20 AM UTC, Dec 13, 2023

ICC Trial Chamber I Acquits Laurent Gbagbo & Charles Blé Goudé

Unic Press UK: The Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (“ICC”) today, by majority decision, Judge Herrera Carbuccia dissenting, acquitted Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé from all the charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Côte d’Ivoire between 2010 and 2011.

In a Press Release today, the ICC said:

“In particular, having thoroughly analysed the evidence, the Chamber concluded by majority that the Prosecutor has failed to demonstrate several core constitutive elements of the crimes as charged, including the existence of a “common plan” to keep Mr Gbagbo in power, which included the commission of crimes against civilians “pursuant to or in furtherance of a State or organisational policy”; and the existence of patterns of violence from which it could be inferred that there was a “policy to attack a civilian population”. Furthermore, the Chamber concluded, by majority, that the Prosecutor failed to demonstrate that public speeches by Mr Gbagbo or Mr Blé Goudé constituted ordering, soliciting or inducing the alleged crimes. The Chamber decided that, accordingly, there is no need for the defence to submit further evidence.”

In the case against Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé, the Prosecutor accused both men of crimes against humanity (murder, rape, other inhumane acts or – in the alternative – attempted murder, and persecution), allegedly committed during the post-electoral violence in Côte D’Ivoire between 16 December 2010 and 12 April 2011.

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