Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo denies charges at The Hague

Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo has denied charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, as his landmark trial began today at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The charges relate to the country’s civil conflict that erupted after he lost elections in 2010.

He is the first ex-head of state to stand trial at the ICC in The Hague.

Gbagbo is accused, together with a former youth minister, Charles Ble Goude, 44, of involvement in atrocities that left 3,000 people dead in the aftermath of a disputed 2010 presidential election runoff in their country.

Ble Goude also pleaded not guilty to four charges of murder, rape, attempted murder and persecution as the trial opened at The Hague based Court.

Reading out the charges, ICC prosecutors cited cases including the alleged rape of 38 women at a pro-Ouattara rally and alleged killing of 10 people by shelling at a market.

The prosecution said it currently planned to bring forward 138 witnesses.

Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said that when Mr Gbagbo “understood that the presidency was going to escape him, he began a campaign of violence orchestrated against those considered opponents”.

“Nothing would be allowed to defeat Mr Gbagbo, and if politics failed, violence was seen as politics by other means,” she said.

Presiding Judge Cuno Tarfusser said neither Ivory Coast nor its people were on trial, and that he would not allow the court to be used as a “political instrument”.

Dozens of Gbagbo supporters gathered outside the ICC on Thursday to back the ex-president, sparking some scuffles with police.

“Our dream to see our President walk free starting today,” said one supporter, Marius Boue. “He is truly a man of the Ivorian people.”

Other supporters gathered in the Gbagbo stronghold of Youpugon in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, Abidjan, to follow the trial.

Gbagbo and Ble Goude each face four crimes against humanity charges allegedly committed by pro-Gbagbo Forces in late 2010 and early 2011 as he attempted to cling to power after losing the 2010 Presidential runoff to Alassane Ouattara.

Mr Gbagbo sparked a crisis in Ivory Coast after he refused to step down following his loss to Ouattara in the 2010 presidential vote.

There were bloody clashes between rival forces over five months in 2010 and 2011. Some 3,000 people were killed, with Gbagbo basing himself in the presidential palace.

The case will be the highest profile trial yet for the ICC, which has only convicted two Congolese warlords since its was established in 2002.