Ivory Coast: Gbago Was a Defender of Democracy, Lawyer Tells Court
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Version 0 of 1. A defense lawyer said Monday that former Ivorian president, Laurent Gbagbo, had been trying to restore democracy in his country when he was deposed by French forces, mercenaries and other supporters of the current president, Alassane Ouattara. The lawyer, Emmanuel Altit, made the argument in his opening statement at Mr. Gbagbo’s trial on charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Mr. Altit accused the prosecution of ignoring abuses also committed by pro-Ouattara forces and said France played a role in the crisis, including providing weapons to the Ouattara forces. |