The civil war followed the
2010 presidential election, his lawyers said.
Ble-Goude headed the
notorious Young Patriots street militia during Gbagbo’s presidency.
Charles Ble-Goude, an ally
of former Cote d’Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo, has been sentenced in
absentia to 20 years in prison by a court in Abidjan, for his role in the civil
war.
Gbagbo and Ble-Goude were
acquitted in January by the International Criminal Court (ICC), in The Hague,
of charges of crimes against humanity during the violence, in which some 3,000
people were killed.
But Ivorian prosecutors
this month brought charges against Ble-Goude, who has remained in Europe while
ICC prosecutors appeal against the acquittals – for rape, torture and other
crimes following his role in the conflict.
Ble-Goude, who was
extradited by Cote d’Ivoire to the ICC in 2014, however, denied the charges.
Political tensions are
rising in Cote d’Ivoire ahead of an October 2020 presidential election.
President Alassane
Ouattara, whose victory over Gbagbo in 2010 sparked the civil war, is expected
to step down after 10 years in office, but he has refused to rule out running
for re-election.
Ble-Goude’s lawyer in the
Netherlands, Geert-Jan Knoops, said on Tuesday that the Ivorian court convicted
his client on Monday.
“I am quite astonished that
a country that is supposed to cooperate with the ICC is not respecting the
system.
“Once a case is before the
ICC, the domestic courts should abstain from prosecution for the same facts,’’
Knoops said.
His lawyer in Cote
d’Ivoire, Ndry Claver, said a warrant had been issued for Ble-Goude’s arrest
and an official at the court in Abidjan confirmed the sentence.
A government spokesman,
was, however, not immediately available for comment.
Gbagbo also remains in
Europe pending the ICC appeal.
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