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Ivory Coast's former first lady Simone Gbagbo jailed | Ivory Coast's former first lady Simone Gbagbo jailed |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Ivory Coast's former first lady, Simone Gbagbo, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for her role in the violence that followed the 2010 elections. | Ivory Coast's former first lady, Simone Gbagbo, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for her role in the violence that followed the 2010 elections. |
Gbagbo, 65, had been charged with undermining state security. | Gbagbo, 65, had been charged with undermining state security. |
Her husband, former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, is awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court. | Her husband, former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, is awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court. |
More than 3,000 people died in the violence that followed the presidential poll after the ex-leader refused to accept defeat to Alassane Ouattara. | More than 3,000 people died in the violence that followed the presidential poll after the ex-leader refused to accept defeat to Alassane Ouattara. |
She and her husband were arrested in 2011 after troops stormed a bunker where the pair had taken refuge in the main city, Abidjan. | She and her husband were arrested in 2011 after troops stormed a bunker where the pair had taken refuge in the main city, Abidjan. |
And it was in the same city where Gbagbo - once called the "Iron Lady" - faced trial. She was also accused of disturbing public order and organising armed gangs. | And it was in the same city where Gbagbo - once called the "Iron Lady" - faced trial. She was also accused of disturbing public order and organising armed gangs. |
The court unanimously sentenced her to 20 years, twice as long as the prosecutors had asked for. | |
Her daughter, Marie Antoinette Singleton, told the BBC the sentence was unfair and a sign of "political justice". | |
"Why would you want to double it? It's not about justice, it's about getting rid of political adversaries." | |
"If we say that something wrong happened, it happened on both sides. Nobody looked into bringing all responsible parties to trial," she said. | |
Simone Gbagbo's lawyer said they would appeal. | |
Laurent Gbagbo, is facing four charges at the ICC in The Hague, including murder, rape and persecution. | Laurent Gbagbo, is facing four charges at the ICC in The Hague, including murder, rape and persecution. |
The ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Simone Gbagbo too, but this was dismissed by the Ivorian government. | The ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Simone Gbagbo too, but this was dismissed by the Ivorian government. |