By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA
Accra, April 1, GNA – The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has upheld the 15 January, 2019 acquittal of former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo and ordered all conditions of his release removed.
The Appeal was filed by the Prosecutor in the trial against the decision of Trial Chamber I of 15 January 2019 to acquit former President Gbagbo and former Minister Charles Ble Goude.
The decision was by majority.
The Five-Member Appeals Chamber presided over by Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said, “The Appeals Chamber, by majority, has found no error that could have materially affected the decision of the trial chamber.”
Other judges are; Judge Howard Morrison, Judge Piotr Hofmaski, Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza and Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa.
The Judge said the conditions on the release of Mr Gbagbo and Mr Blé Goudé, stemming from the decision of the Appeals Chamber of 28 May 2020 were revoked.
The Appeals Chamber further finds unanimously that the Registrar was directed to facilitate the review of the official French translations of filings in this appeal that include quotations taken from the draft French translation of Judge Henderson’s Reasons and, if necessary, the filing of corrected versions thereof, replacing them with the relevant text contained in the revised French translation of that document.
The Court said any additional observations made by counsel for Mr Gbagbo in document on the merits of the appeal, were disregarded.
It also said the request of the Prosecutor in her document concerning the corrigendum to counsel for Mr Gbagbo’s response to the Prosecutor’s Appeal Brief was rejected.
Trial judges acquitted both on charges of crimes against humanity for their alleged role in post-election violence in Ivory Coast in 2010-11.
They ended the trial after the prosecution finished its case and before the defence began, saying evidence submitted was not enough to support a conviction
The 75-year-old had been released conditionally to Belgium, Judges on Wednesday ordered all restrictions on his release removed, paving the way for his possible return to Ivory Coast.
GNA