By Gary Raynaldo
The Ivory Coast government granted amnesty to its former First Lady Simone Gbagbo in August and she was released from prison. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattarra offered amnesty to the west African nation’s former First Lady who was in jail along with 800 others for crimes connected with the 2010-2011 post-election crisis. Incarcerated since April 2011, Gbagbo was sentenced to 20 years in prison for undermining the state’s security. Simone Gbagbo walked free with thousands of supporters overjoyed by the presidential pardon. However, Gbagbo’s taste of freedom is bittersweet as the International Criminal Court is currently seeking to arrest the former first lady.
In November 2012 , ICC judges decided to unseal their Arrest Warrant against SimoneGbagbo for her alleged individual responsibility for crimes against humanity during Côte d’Ivoire’s post-election crisis in 2010 – 2011.
“Since the opening of investigations, Côte d’Ivoire has been cooperating fully with the OTP in its investigations. We expect the Ivoirian authorities to continue cooperating and to surrender Simone Gbagbo to the Court,” statement by ICC Prosecutor following unsealing of Arrest Warrant against Mrs. Simone Gbagbo.
“As the Office stated in its application to open an investigation in Côte d’Ivoire, the type of crimes committed in the aftermath of the 2010 elections did not happen by chance – they were planned and coordinated at the highest political and military levels and all those bearing the greatest responsibility must be held to account,” ICC Prosecutor.
Credit: France24.com / Issouf Sanago AFP / Supporters of former Ivory Coast first lady Simone Gbagbo celebrate her release from prison Aug. 8, 2018 in capital city Abidjan.
International Criminal Court Charges:
Simone Gbagbo is allegedly responsible as indirect co-perpetrator, for four counts of crimes against humanity, allegedly committed in the context of post-electoral violence in the territory of Côte d’Ivoire between 16 December 2010 and 12 April 2011:
- Murder
- Rape and other sexual violence
- Persecution and other inhuman acts
Ivory Coast authorities refuse to hand over Simone Gbagbo to ICC War Tribunal
Source: Africanews.com / Ivory Coast former President Laurent Gbagbo with wife Simone Gbagbo circa 2008. Laurent Gbagbo is currently incarcerated and on trial at the ICC war tribunal in The Hague with a close ally, Charles Blé Goudé for alleged war crimes.
Statement by ICC Prosecutor following unsealing of Arrest Warrant against Mrs. Simone Gbagbo: “The judges have decided, it is now up to the Ivoirian authorities to surrender Mrs. Simone Gbagbo to the Court.”
However, the Ivorian authorities have refused to hand over Simone Gbagbo to the ICC. The government declined to transfer Simone Gbagbo to the court when the ICC indictment, was unsealed in November 2012. “Simone Gbagbo will not be transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face war crimes charges,” Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan said in 2016, according to Africanews.com.
The Ivory Coast government has argued that Ivorian courts are willing and able to try cases related to the post-election crisis, in its refusal to turn over Simone Gbagbo to the ICC.
Human Rights Organizations oppose Ivory Coast’s Amnesty for Simone Gbagbo
Source: Amnesty International among Human Rights groups opposing amnesty for those accused of war crimes in Ivory Coast.
“There should be no amnesty for those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations committed in Côte d’Ivoire’s 2010-11 post-election crisis, 11 national and international human rights groups said after the Ivory Coast government announced amnesty for Gbagbo and others in August 2018.
