The Ivorian government said on Wednesday (July 29th) to process the passport application of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, on parole in Brussels after his acquittal by the International Criminal Court (ICC), who wants to return to Côte d'Ivoire. “ The Ivory Coast Embassy in Brussels has informed us of the receipt of a request for a service passport. The file is being processed with the competent authorities, starting of course with the Belgian embassy ”declared Sidi Tiémoko Touré, the government spokesperson after the Council of Ministers.
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Mr. Gbagbo also introduced a request " for a criminal record and a certificate of nationality ", administrative documents essential for any candidate for an elective mandate in Côte d'Ivoire, including the presidential election. “ He's an Ivorian like any other. He will receive his documents after processing. This is completely normal ”underlined Mr. Touré. Monday, " after several unsuccessful requests for a diplomatic passport to be issued to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abidjan, President Laurent Gbagbo today visited the Embassy of Côte d'Ivoire in Brussels to submit a request ordinary passport and a laissez-passer ”, announced, in a press release, his lawyer Me Habiba Touré.
A major political issue
The return of Laurent Gbagbo to Côte d'Ivoire is a major political issue, three months before the presidential election. His party, the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), urges him to stand for election. The ex-president between 2000 and 2010 was acquitted by the ICC of crimes against humanity and released after seven years in detention in The Hague. The Court is currently examining the appeal request of the Court's prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda.
The ICC refused a request for unconditional release made by Mr. Gbagbo, 75, but relaxed the conditions of his parole, allowing him to leave Belgium, where he had been under house arrest since his acquittal, on condition that any country he wishes to visit accepts to receive him. Mr. Gbagbo was also sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Ivorian justice for the “ robbery ” of the Central Bank of West African States. The presidential election promises to be tense in this West African country, ten years after the post-electoral crisis which left more than 3,000 dead.