Ten years, almost to the day, after his arrest in his “
bunker
” at the presidential residence in Abidjan, Laurent Gbagbo was fully acquitted on Wednesday by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"
The appeals chamber rejects the prosecutor's appeal
," said Nigerian judge Chile Eboe-Osuji.
The former Ivorian president, as well as his co-accused, his former minister Charles Blé Goudé, are now free from all charges.
“
It is a victory for justice.
The innocence of a man has been fully recognized,
”said one of his lawyers, Emmanuel Altit.
The ICC had acquitted Laurent Gbagbo at first instance in January 2019 but the prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, had appealed to try to limit the snub.
Without much luck.
In their expectations, the judges had indeed underlined "
the exceptional weakness
" of the prosecution file.
Pressure from supporters
Glasses and costume, the former head of state greeted the news with a broad smile.
For him, according to one of his relatives, however, it is "just
one more step
".
He has never hidden his intention to return to Côte d'Ivoire.
This return "
to (him)
", he had made his primary objective during his only interview given since his arrest in October, shortly before the re-election for a disputed third term of his lifelong rival Alassane Ouattara.
The latter never officially opposed it.
The president had simply suggested that the ICC must first put a complete end to the prosecution.
Anonymously, the presidential entourage affirmed that this return "
would be possible only if the legislative elections go well
".
However, the ballot, held in early March, took place peacefully with the participation of the FPI, the Gbagbo party.
Supporters of "
Mama's Woody
" openly dream of an imminent return
of the 75-year-old
"
chief
", and increasingly loudly.
They accuse the authorities of doing everything to hinder this trip.
To contain this pressure from the supporters of the former president, whose popularity has remained strong throughout a whole part of the country, the authorities have released a little ballast.
In December, the authorities issued two passports to Laurent Gbagbo.
At the same time, Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko - who has since died - had started negotiations with the political entourage of the former president to concretely discuss the conditions for repatriation.
Nothing now seems to oppose a return, except perhaps his conviction in 2018 by an Ivorian court to 20 years in prison in the case of the "
breakage
" of the Ivorian office of the Central Bank of African States of West (BCAO).