International News

ICoast’s ex-first lady on trial for crimes against humanity

ABIDJAN, (APP/AFP): Ivory Coast’s former first lady Simone
Gbagbo goes on trial Tuesday for crimes against humanity, but rights groups acting as plaintiffs in the case have pulled out, blasting the proceedings as flawed.
The wife of ex president Laurent Gbagbo has already been handed a
20-year jail sentence for “attacking state authority” over her role in post-election violence in 2010 that left more than 3,000 people dead.
Accused of involvement in rights abuses against supporters of her
husband’s rival Alassane Ouattara to keep Gbagbo in the presidency, she faces allegations of crimes against prisoners of war, crimes against the civilian population and crimes against humanity.
But on Monday three rights groups, representing nearly 250 victims,
said they would refuse to take part in the trial of the woman once known as the “Iron Lady” because of doubts over its “credibility”.
“Our lawyers have not had access to all stages of the procedures —
how can they defend their case?” the head of one of the groups, the Ivorian League of Human Rights, told AFP.