 |
| Simone Gbagbo |
The former first lady of Ivory Coast, Simone Gbagbo have been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the post-election violence that took place in 2010 and 2011, leaving about 3, 000 people dead and several thousands displaced. The post-election violence erupted after the former president, Laurent Gbagbo rejected the victory of the
opposition candidate, Alassane Ouattara.
It was reported in the media that after nine hours of deliberation, Judge Tahirou Dembele, the presiding judge for the court, said that the court found out that the former first lady was involved in endangering state security. She was also guilty of taking part in illicit rebel group acts, and undermining public order. Her sentence was double what the prosecutors had asked for, prompting her attorneys to express fury at the verdict and their intention to appeal the decision
Rodrigue Dadje, a lawyer to Gbagbo was quoted by the media, saying it was a pure politically-motivated verdict. If we could recall, the former president himself has been at the Hague since 2012, awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.
The Ivorian local justice has decided to bring Simone Gbagbo and other key figures under the former administration to trial. Pascal
Affi N'Guessan, the president of the then ruling Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and also Michel Gbagbo, the son
of former president have been sentenced to five
years in prison.
A man battling with ICC in Hague, the wife is being sentenced to 20 years in prison at home and the son is sentenced to five years in prison at home too. What a devastated family! All in the name of power? Please share your opinion too.
No comments:
Post a Comment