Ivory Coast's former president, Laurent Gbagbo, today appeared for the first time before the International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity including murder, rape and persecution.
Gbagbo, the first former head of state to stand trial at the court, was flown to The Hague on November 30th. The pretrial judges will today verify the identity of the 66-year old former ruler. The court will then set a date for a hearing to assess whether there is sufficient evidence to start a trial.
Gbagbo was arrested in April after a violent five-month conflict sparked by his refusal to cede power to Alassane Ouattara following an election in November 2010. As many as 3,000 people were killed in the clashes, according to the court.
"Gbagbo is brought to account for his individual responsibility in the attacks against civilians committed by forces acting on his behalf," Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said November 30th.
"Gbagbo is first to be brought to account, there is more to come.''
Bloomberg