The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday appealed against the acquittal of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and his co-accused Charles Blé Goudé, the institution said.
The Prosecutor’s Office in the Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé case filed the “act of appeal today” and will now have “30 days to file its statement of appeal detailing the legal grounds for its appeal (in total 90 days since the notification of the acquittal decision),” a statement from Fatou Bensouda’s office said.
After receiving the prosecutor’s appeal brief and hearing the views of the parties on the grounds of appeal, the judges of the Appeals Chamber will then consider whether or not the decision at first instance should be upheld, it stated.
The Appeals Chamber will set the dates for the filing of auch submissions, and may sometimes order appeals hearings, if necessary.
The Gbagbo-Blé Goudé cases were joined on March 11, 2015.
The trial began on 28 January 2016 and on January 15, 2019, Trial Chamber I, by a majority, acquitted them of all charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Cote d’Ivoire in 2010 and 2011.
On February 1, 2019, the Appeals Chamber imposed conditions on their release following the acquittal of Mr. Gbagbo and Mr. Blé Goudé.
The former head of state was welcomed in Brussels, while his co-accused, Blé Goudé, remained in The Hague.
On July 16, 2019, Trial Chamber I filed the full reasons for the acquittal of Mr. Laurent Gbagbo and Mr. Charles Blé Goudé.
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