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ICC combines Gbagbo, Ble Goude cases

Xinhua, March 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday decided to combine the cases concerning war crimes suspects Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Ble Goude, politicians from Cote d'Ivoire.

The trial chamber granted the prosecutor's request to join the two cases "in order to ensure the efficacy and expeditiousness of the proceedings."

In addition, the trial chamber cancelled the start date of the Gbagbo trial, originally set for July 7 this year and scheduled a status conference for April 21 in order to examine procedural issues related to the trial.

The chamber noted that both Gbagbo, 69, the former president of Cote d'Ivoire, and Ble Goude, 43, another Ivorian political leader, "had charges confirmed against them which arise from the same allegations, namely crimes allegedly committed during the same four incidents by the same direct perpetrators." The victims were believed to be supporters of Alassane Ouattara, the current president of Cote d'Ivoire.

The violence took place during the aftermath of the presidential elections between Dec. 16, 2010 and on or around April 12, 2011. Gbagbo refused to accept defeat against Ouattara after these elections.

Gbagbo was transferred to the ICC's detention unit in The Hague on Nov. 30, 2011, following his arrest warrant on Nov. 23, 2011. Ble Goude surrendered to ICC's custody on March 22, 2014, following an arrest warrant issued by the ICC on Dec. 21, 2011.

According to the chamber, their alleged contribution to and-or participation in the alleged crimes are not the same, but their conduct is nevertheless closely linked. The chamber explained that largely the same evidence has been and will be disclosed and presented in both cases.

On Tuesday, Ivory Coast's former first lady, Simone Gbagbo, the wife of Laurent Gbagbo, was sentenced to 20 years in jail by the court in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, for her role in the violence in the wake of the 2010 elections. The 65-year-old Simone Gbagbo had been charged with undermining state security. On Nov. 22, 2012 the ICC also issued a warrant against Simone Gbagbo for four counts of crimes against humanity. Endit