Simone Gbagbo's trial adjourned for lawyers to study exhibits

Former Ivorian first lady Simone Gbagbo’s trial was suspended on Monday for a week, after her lawyers requested for more time to study some documents submitted in her case file.

The lawyers said they will be studying 300 to 400 pages of exhibits in order to prepare a response for their client.

Ivory Coast’s highest court of Assize accepted the requested and postponed the trial to Monday June 20th.

“We wanted a reasonable period of a week to study these 300 to 400 pages of exhibits and prepare the response of our client,” said Rodrigue Dadjé, one of Mrs. Gbagbo’s lawyers told reporters at the end of a brief hearing in Abidjan courthouse.

Mrs. Gbagbo is being accused of human rights abuses against supporters of her husband’s rival Alassane Ouattara to keep Gbagbo in power. She’s also facing allegations of crimes against prisoners of war, crimes against the civilian population and crimes against humanity.

The 66-year-old has already been handed a 20-year jail sentence for “attacking state authority” over her role in post-election violence in 2010, events that left more than 3,000 people dead.

AFP