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New rule emerges on Laurent Gbagbo's trial

Ivory Coast

A new rule is to be adopted when the hearings in the trial of Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Ble Goude resume in the Hague.

The judges at the International Criminal Court have decided to restrict the live retransmission of some of the proceedings on the Internet.

The measure is to take effect this Wednesday at the resumption of the trial of the former Ivorian president and his former Minister of Youths.

Italian judge Cuno Tarfusser explained that the measure is intended to ensure the safety of witnesses whose identity are supposed to be confidential and primarily to preserve the integrity of the trial.

Conscious of the highly politicized discourse, controversies and conspiracy theories concerning the trial he is presiding over, Tarfusser used the opportunity to explain what he and his colleagues are about.

“This is a criminal trial…this is not a game in which one side wants to win and the other side shall be defeated. Ivory Coast is not on trial either here. The people of Ivory Coast are not on trial.” he said.

A reference to the publication of the names of some witnesses on the social media.

The fact remains that the majority of identities revealed, have been for the Prosecutor or for the witnesses.

The question of the identity of witnesses was imposed as a major determinant at the opening of Laurent Gbagbo’s trial in January.

The judges have assured that the recordings of the hearings would be accessible within a few weeks in order to allow the court to censor the elements and identify the protected witnesses.

According to Ivorian associations, the precautions were not imposed, they pointed out that the witnesses at the trial would publicly testify without hindrance.

thijsbouwknegt in Justicetribune about ICC’s case against former president Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé https://t.co/OTRQcVxMSW

— NIOD (@NIODamsterdam) July 5, 2016

Press Agency

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