The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Ivory Coast’s former first lady, Simone Gbagbo, accusing her of crimes against humanity committed during the West African nation’s post-election conflict last year.
The warrant, which was issued on February 29th but remained sealed until Thursday, alleges she was “criminally responsible for murder, rape, other forms of sexual violence, other inhumane acts, and persecution”.
Human rights groups said the warrant risked deepening the widespread perception of winner’s justice as no forces loyal to the current government had been arrested despite evidence of crimes being committed on both sides.
Former president Laurent Gbagbo, whose refusal to accept defeat in a late 2010 election triggered the brief war, is already in The Hague awaiting trial on similar charges. Violent protests slipped into all-out combat between forces loyal to Mr Gbagbo and fighters supporting current president Alassane Ouattara.