THE HAGUE, Netherlands — International Criminal Court judges say the crimes against humanity case against former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo can go ahead because he does not face an ongoing prosecution in his home country.
The judges rejected Tuesday a challenge by Gbagbo's lawyers to the admissibility of the case at the ICC. Gbagbo's defense had argued that he should not be prosecuted in The Hague because he was being investigated for the same crimes in Ivory Coast.
Gbagbo is the first former head of state to appear at ICC, and prosecutors charge that he is responsible for murders, rapes and arbitrary detention of supporters of his political rival — and now president — Alassane Ouattara in the aftermath of 2010 elections.
Gbagbo has denied any wrongdoing.
