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Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo still has to spend at least two weeks in detention at the International Criminal Court, although he has been acquitted this week of involvement in deadly violence. post-election murderous.
The judges ruled on Friday that Gbagbo and the government's former youth minister, Charles Blé Goude, were to remain in detention until the judges ruled on an appeal by the public prosecutor against them. unconditional release.
The two men were released this week after being acquitted of crimes against humanity, accused of involvement in violence that would have resulted in the death of more than 3,000 people following the controversial 2010 presidential election in Cote d'Ivoire. # 39; Ivoire.
Prosecutors plan to appeal acquittals and say that men should only be released under strict conditions to ensure their return to court for appeal hearings.
In a 3-to-2 majority decision, the appeal judges suspended Gbagbo and Ble Goude's release order and scheduled a hearing on February 1 to discuss the appeal. against their liberation.
Two judges argued that, by virtue of the constitutive law of the court, prosecutors did not have the right to appeal the decision to release the men.
Gbagbo has been in court custody since November 2011 and Ble Goude since March 2014. The lawyers for both men argued that they should be allowed to wander freely after their acquittal.
Prosecutors said that if they were released unconditionally, they might not return to court when their acquittal will be appealed.
Gbagbo's trial was the first time the ICC tried a former president. This was seen as a breakthrough in efforts to bring to justice the most senior leaders accused of atrocities.
This turned into the last defeat for the besieged court prosecutors.
The case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, accused of having participated – before his presidency – in post-election violence, collapsed in December 2014. Last year, judges of Appeal acquitted a former Congolese vice president, Jean-Pierre Bemba, of crimes by his militia in neighboring Central African Republic.
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