The Ivorian president ousted, Laurent Gbagbo, was heard Saturday, May 7 for the first time by the court, in the absence of his French lawyers, turned back the night before at the Abidjan airport for lack of visas in order. The hearing occurred after the swearing in of Alassane Ouattara as president in Abidjan, during which he promised "reconciliation and justice." "Laurent Gbagbo was interviewed in the presence of his personal physician," said state prosecutor in Abidjan, leaving the isolated town of Korhogo in northern Côte d'Ivoire, Gbagbo is assigned arrest.
The former head of state could not be assisted by his French lawyer, Jacques Verges and Marcel My Ceccaldi, who were turned away Friday at their arrival at Abidjan airport. Their visas were not in order and both were still in France on Saturday. "So that's why they wanted to prevent us from coming.
The manipulation is obvious," responded Marcel Ceccaldi, who wants to seize the Commission on Human Rights UN. "On one hand, we announce the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the other one takes legal action against the president. That will accentuate the break lines inside the country," he judged.
My Vergès and Ceccaldi have to go Monday to the Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire in Paris for a visa. For advocates of the former president, the Ivorian law provides that the hearing may not take place if Mr Gbagbo requires the presence of his lawyers. Friday night, the prosecutor had indicated, however, to "the presence of lawyers, while desirable, is not mandatory." Laurent Gbagbo was heard during a preliminary hearing into the crisis resulting from contesting the presidential elections of 28 November 2010, during which 3,000 people were killed, authorities said.
Charges of extortion, embezzlement and hate speech against Mr. Gbagbo, who had refused to recognize the victory of his rival Alassane Ouattara and was arrested after a fortnight of fighting in April 11 the presidential residence in Abidjan. "We have excluded this falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), such as crimes against humanity", had said the Ivorian minister of justice.
The ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said Tuesday that its services were preparing a court application to open an investigation into the massacres committed in Côte d'Ivoire. The prosecutor said it would continue its hearings and heard the former first lady. Besides the former president and his wife, some 200 personalities from the old regime, under house arrest throughout the country, must also be heard. 
The former head of state could not be assisted by his French lawyer, Jacques Verges and Marcel My Ceccaldi, who were turned away Friday at their arrival at Abidjan airport. Their visas were not in order and both were still in France on Saturday. "So that's why they wanted to prevent us from coming.
The manipulation is obvious," responded Marcel Ceccaldi, who wants to seize the Commission on Human Rights UN. "On one hand, we announce the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the other one takes legal action against the president. That will accentuate the break lines inside the country," he judged.
My Vergès and Ceccaldi have to go Monday to the Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire in Paris for a visa. For advocates of the former president, the Ivorian law provides that the hearing may not take place if Mr Gbagbo requires the presence of his lawyers. Friday night, the prosecutor had indicated, however, to "the presence of lawyers, while desirable, is not mandatory." Laurent Gbagbo was heard during a preliminary hearing into the crisis resulting from contesting the presidential elections of 28 November 2010, during which 3,000 people were killed, authorities said.
Charges of extortion, embezzlement and hate speech against Mr. Gbagbo, who had refused to recognize the victory of his rival Alassane Ouattara and was arrested after a fortnight of fighting in April 11 the presidential residence in Abidjan. "We have excluded this falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), such as crimes against humanity", had said the Ivorian minister of justice.
The ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said Tuesday that its services were preparing a court application to open an investigation into the massacres committed in Côte d'Ivoire. The prosecutor said it would continue its hearings and heard the former first lady. Besides the former president and his wife, some 200 personalities from the old regime, under house arrest throughout the country, must also be heard.
- Who Supports Laurent Gbagbo? (01/04/2011)
- Ivory Coast: Laurent Gbagbo fighters retake state television station (02/04/2011)
- Cote d'Ivoire in final push to oust Laurent Gbagbo - Xinhua (03/04/2011)
- Ivory Coast: the agonies of reconcilation | Anne Schumann (08/05/2011)
- Ivory Coast War Update: Laurent Gbagbo Captured In Violent Showdown (11/04/2011)
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