Ivory Coast Ex - President Laurent Gbagbo Now

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Judge orders release of Gbagbo, who had been charged with crimes against humanity.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) today has been acquitted and discharge former president of Ivory Coast is and has ordered for his release and the charges against him of crimes against humanity dropped after the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled that he had no case to answer so should be made "a free man"

The court in The Hague acquitted Ex - President Laurent Gbagbo and his former youth minister of all charges and ordered their immediate release.

The charges, which included ordering murder and gang rape, related to post-election violence in the west African country in 2011. Gbagbo refused to hand over power to Alassane Ouattara, the current president, and about 3,000 people died in the aftermath.

The judges ruled that Gbagbo and his then youth minister, Blé Goudé, had no plan to keep Gbagbo in power, and so there was “no need for defence to submit further defence, as the prosecutor has not satisfied the burden of proof”.

The decision will be a severe blow for the ICC prosecutor, for whom it was a landmark case. The court will resume on Wednesday, where the prosecution will say whether they want to appeal, and if they do, what conditions they want to impose on Gbagbo’s release.

The ICC has been accused of being one-sided as it did not bring any charges against pro-Ouattara commanders who were also accused of abuses.

There has been little justice for the victims of the post-electoral violence: although Ivorian judges investigated many of the crimes and charged military and political officials from both sides, last year Ouattara announced a controversial amnesty for almost all of them.