Belgium to take in Gbagbo

<p><strong>Belgium has agreed to take in former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo following his acquittal at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Saturday, February 2 according to reports</strong>.</p> <p>“In response to a request from the International Criminal Court, Belgium has agreed to take in Laurent Gbagbo,” said spokesman Karl Lagatie, who added that he did not know if the ex-president was already in Belgium.</p> <p>“That is also part of the framework of our support for international criminal jurisdictions,” he added.</p> <p>The International Criminal Court finally freed Gbagbo on Friday, February 1, after his shock acquittal last month on charges of crimes against humanity.</p> <p>He and his aide Charles Ble Goude had been cleared on January 15 over the wave of violence after disputed elections in the west African nation in 2010.</p> <p>But he was initially kept in custody after prosecutors argued that if released, he might not return for a retrial if January’s acquittal was overturned on appeal.</p> <p>He was released on condition that he stay in the host state until the court decides whether to let an appeal trial go ahead.</p>

That is also part of the framework of our support for international criminal jurisdictions