Human Rights Watch Statement on the Apprehension of Laurent Gbagbo
April 11, 2011
Forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara apprehended Laurent Gbagbo in Abidjan on April 11, 2011. “Gbagbo has been credibly implicated in crimes against humanity and other atrocities for which he should be held to account,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. He should not be granted a golden exile in a country that would shield him from national or international prosecution.
Ouattara’s forces have an obligation to treat him and others in their custody humanely in accordance with international law. After months of fighting in which civilians suffered terribly, Ouattara takes control of a deeply divided country. To end over a decade of abuse and impunity, Ouattara’s new government needs to ensure that all those responsible for the crimes that have characterized this painful period of Cote d’Ivoire’s history face fair justice, regardless of their rank or political allegiance.
“When he found himself face to face with Gbagbo, in front of his desk, the first thing Gbagbo said was `Don’t kill me!’,” the witness said.
He said Ouattara’s forces put a bullet-proof vest on Gbagbo and the FRCI’s commanders surrounded him “to protect him because some of our fighters wanted to finish him off right away.”
Gbagbo was then put into a 4×4 and taken directly to Ouattara’s headquarters at the Golf Hotel, he said.
Another witness at the hotel said Gbagbo was brought in under guard by pro-Ouattara fighters and UN police.
“I saw (his wife) Simone arrive in the hall, she was wearing a long dress. The FRCI security guys were trying to protect her from the crowd, which was trying to hit her,” the hotel witness said.
“Despite this, there were a few people who managed to give her a couple of hits, to pull her hair. We could hear people insulting her, calling her a witch,” he said.
When we tell our leaders to respect electorates, but they violate it and put in their corruption,impunity and nepotism to retain their leaderships of which at the end they harvest it very heavily in jail or exile or death. Kenyans should learn lessons from this. Gbagbo was informed before to accept defeat but thought he is overall of everything. What do one has under the Sun? Nothing.Now his wife may be raped.
Raila Odinga should have stayed put and kicked Kibaki and Lucy out of State House. Power-sharing in Africa after one’s election is stolen is not the solution.
Just like Kibaki, Gbagbo and many other leaders stole elections in Africa, here is video evidence of thumb-printing of ballot papers in the ongoing Nigerian elections.
Video evidence of fraud by election officials at the polls in South South Nigeria. (Rivers State). Where are all the international election monitors. This only shows that we Nigerians control our own destiny. INEC take note.
Welcome: Jean-Jacques Bechio, once special adviser to Mr Gbagbo, is kicked at the Golf Hotel
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/860721-new-era-for-ivory-coast-as-leader-laurent-gbagbo-spirited-away
Human Rights Watch Statement on the Apprehension of Laurent Gbagbo
April 11, 2011
Forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara apprehended Laurent Gbagbo in Abidjan on April 11, 2011. “Gbagbo has been credibly implicated in crimes against humanity and other atrocities for which he should be held to account,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. He should not be granted a golden exile in a country that would shield him from national or international prosecution.
Ouattara’s forces have an obligation to treat him and others in their custody humanely in accordance with international law. After months of fighting in which civilians suffered terribly, Ouattara takes control of a deeply divided country. To end over a decade of abuse and impunity, Ouattara’s new government needs to ensure that all those responsible for the crimes that have characterized this painful period of Cote d’Ivoire’s history face fair justice, regardless of their rank or political allegiance.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/04/11/human-rights-watch-statement-apprehension-laurent-gbagbo
“When he found himself face to face with Gbagbo, in front of his desk, the first thing Gbagbo said was `Don’t kill me!’,” the witness said.
He said Ouattara’s forces put a bullet-proof vest on Gbagbo and the FRCI’s commanders surrounded him “to protect him because some of our fighters wanted to finish him off right away.”
Gbagbo was then put into a 4×4 and taken directly to Ouattara’s headquarters at the Golf Hotel, he said.
Another witness at the hotel said Gbagbo was brought in under guard by pro-Ouattara fighters and UN police.
“I saw (his wife) Simone arrive in the hall, she was wearing a long dress. The FRCI security guys were trying to protect her from the crowd, which was trying to hit her,” the hotel witness said.
“Despite this, there were a few people who managed to give her a couple of hits, to pull her hair. We could hear people insulting her, calling her a witch,” he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10718739
When we tell our leaders to respect electorates, but they violate it and put in their corruption,impunity and nepotism to retain their leaderships of which at the end they harvest it very heavily in jail or exile or death. Kenyans should learn lessons from this. Gbagbo was informed before to accept defeat but thought he is overall of everything. What do one has under the Sun? Nothing.Now his wife may be raped.
Raila Odinga should have stayed put and kicked Kibaki and Lucy out of State House. Power-sharing in Africa after one’s election is stolen is not the solution.
Just like Kibaki, Gbagbo and many other leaders stole elections in Africa, here is video evidence of thumb-printing of ballot papers in the ongoing Nigerian elections.
Video evidence of fraud by election officials at the polls in South South Nigeria. (Rivers State). Where are all the international election monitors. This only shows that we Nigerians control our own destiny. INEC take note.