THE HAGUE, Netherlands — International Criminal Court judges on Tuesday acquitted former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo and former youth minister Charles Ble Goude of responsibility for crimes committed after disputed elections in 2010, saying the prosecution failed to prove its case.
Presiding Judge Cuno Tarfusser ordered the immediate release of Gbagbo, 73, and Ble Goude, 47, after the judgment, which came before their lawyers even had to present a case. Tarfusser later suspended that order ahead of a follow-up hearing today.
Prosecutors can appeal. In a written statement, they called the ruling “disappointing and unexpected” and said they would analyze the written decision “and assess the appropriate next steps.”
More than 3,000 people were killed after Gbagbo refused to accept defeat by his rival, current Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara.
Tarfusser said it was a matter of public record that Ivory Coast was wracked by post-election violence in 2010 and early 2011, but he said prosecutors did not present evidence that Gbagbo and Ble Goude formulated a plan for their supporters to unleash violence to keep Gbagbo in power.