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Trial of former Ivoirien first lady Simone Gbagbo begins

02 Jun 2016, 05:47 pm
Financial Nigeria
Trial of former Ivoirien first lady Simone Gbagbo begins

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Human Rights Watch said for the trial of Mrs. Gbagbo to be meaningful to victims, it must be credible, fair, and followed by the trials of other collaborators from both sides of the post-election crisis.

Former Ivoirien FIrst Lady Simone Gbagbo

The trial of former First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Simone Gbagbo, reopened in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on May 31. The former First Lady is accused of carrying out crimes against humanity in the 2010-2011 post-election violence in which more than 3,000 people were killed.

Simone Gbagbo was previously convicted on March 20, 2015 and sentenced to 20 years in prison by a court in Côte d’Ivoire for her role in the violence that erupted when her husband, former President Laurent Gbagbo, refused to relinquish power after losing the November 2010 election to former Prime Minister, Alassane Ouattara.

She has also been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity. The trial of her husband at the ICC began on January 28, 2016 at The Hague.

Human Rights Watch said for the trial of Mrs. Gbagbo to be meaningful to victims, it must be credible, fair, and followed by the trials of other collaborators from both sides of the post-election crisis.

According to UK Guardian, “Ivory Coast suffered months of bloodshed after Laurent Gbagbo and his supporters refused to accept defeat to Ouattara in a 2010 election. The violence was ultimately halted by an international military intervention led by France under a UN mandate, and the Gbagbos were arrested in April 2011.”


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