Former First Lady of Ivory Coast, Simone Gbagbo(Cameroon Voice)
Former First Lady of Ivory Coast, Simone Gbagbo surrounded by rebel soldiers
play Former President and First Lady of Ivory Coast, Laurent and Simone Gbagbo upon their arrest in 2011
The trial of the former First Lady of Ivory Coast, Simone Gbagbo commenced on Friday, December 26, in Abidjan amid heavy security
Mrs Gbagbo is being tried for her alleged role in stealing an election which her husband, former President, Laurent Gbagbo lost in 2010 and the post-election violence which followed.
The former first lady, who has been under house arrest since 2011, is being charged along with 82 supporters of her husband for “attempting to undermine the security of the state.”
The former President lost the elections held in October 2010 to rival, Alassane Ouattara but refused to concede defeat resulting in a civil war which reportedly claimed about 3,000 lives.
Gbagbo was eventually chased out of the presidency in April 2011 by rebels and an international military force led by France and was taken into custody along with his wife.
The trial is being conducted before nine jurors and is expected to last about a month.
“If she is found guilty, she will get 20 years to life because we are talking about a crime against state security,” prosecutor Soungalo Coulibaly stated.
Laurent Gbagbo and an associate, Charles Ble Goude are currently imprisoned in the Netherlands and are set to be tried before the International Criminal Court in The Hague for crimes against humanity.
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