Ousted Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has been sent to the International Criminal Court’s detention center in The Hague, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity.
Gbagbo, 66, was flown from the Ivory Coast to the Netherlands early on Wednesday after the ICC called for his arrest.
The ICC said Gbagbo “allegedly bears individual criminal responsibility, as indirect co-perpetrator, for four counts of crimes against humanity, namely murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, persecution, and other inhuman acts” during the conflict that lasted from mid-December 2010 to April 2011.
After elections were held in December, Gbagbo refused to cede power to election winner Alassane Ouattara, triggering the armed conflict. Prosecutors estimate that around 3,000 people died and more than a million were displaced during the conflict.
“Gbagbo is brought to account for his individual responsibility in the attacks against civilians committed by forces acting on his behalf. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty and will be given full rights and the opportunity to defend himself,” ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said in a statement.
Gbagbo is the first former head of state to be detained by the ICC since it was founded nine years ago. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the court and slain Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi was also wanted.
