Credit: ©ICC/CPI / Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo at International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands

DIPLOMATIC TIMES STAFF

Belgium has agreed to take in the former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo following his acquittal at the international criminal court in The Hague, a foreign ministry spokesman said.  Karl Lagatie confirmed the agreement on Saturday, and added that he did not know if the ex-president was already in Belgium. “That is also part of the framework of our support for international criminal jurisdictions,” he added.   The International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber Friday ordered the conditional release of former Gbagbo. The ICC also imposed the same conditions on Gbagbo’s right-hand man Charles Blé Goudé upon their release to a State willing to accept them on its territory.  Both Gbagbo and Blé Goudé were acquitted of all war crimes charges against them last month by The Hague-based war tribunal.   Gbagbo and Blé Goudé were accused of four counts of crimes against humanity (murder, rape, attempted murder, and persecution) allegedly committed in the context of post-electoral violence in  Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) between 16 December 2010 and 12 April 2011. Their trial opened on Jan. 28, 2016.  Both Gbagbo and Blé Goudé pleaded not guilty.  Gbabgo and Blé Goudé also requested the ICC to acquit them on grounds that there is not enough evidence to proceed with the trial.  In Friday’s Court Hearing, the ICC Appeals Chamber decided unanimously that conditions are to be imposed on Gbagbo and Blé Goudé with the hosting State willing and able to enforce the conditions set by the Court.  These conditions are imposed to protect the integrity of the process, the ICC said in a statement