Ex-Ivorian president fit to face war crimes trial

Published on 03/11/2012 00:00

Former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo, who stands
accused of multiple war crimes, is well enough to stand trial, judges at the International Criminal Court ruled yesterday.

However, they also warned that his fragile mental health required close monitoring and appropriate treatment.

Preparations for Gbagbo’s trial for crimes against humanity including murder, rape and persecution have been on hold since June, when he told judges the ill-treatment he had received at the hands of his captors in Ivory Coast had left him unfit to stand trial.

Judges found Gbagbo, 67, was able to understand the charges against him, which relate to the civil war that followed his
refusal to stand down after losing presidential elections in 2010. Some 3,000 were killed and more than a million were displaced in four months of fighting.

The trial can only begin once judges have confirmed the charges against Gbagbo and no date has been set yet.