THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — International Criminal Court appeals judges have ordered a new review into whether former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo should be released from detention while his long-running trial continues on crimes against humanity charges.
Presiding Judge Piotr Hofmanski on Wednesday upheld an appeal by the 72-year-old former president against the refusal in March by judges conducting Gbagbo's trial to release him from custody.
Gbagbo has been in the court's detention unit since late 2011 and will remain jailed pending the review. He has pleaded not guilty to four crimes against humanity charges including murder and rape allegedly committed by his supporters during violence that left 3,000 people dead after the country's disputed 2010 presidential election.
Prosecutors accuse Gbagbo of unleashing violence to cling to office after losing a runoff to now-President Alassane Ouattara.
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