The ex-leader of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo on Friday appealed against his continued detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC judges last month ordered the release of Gbagbo after acquitting him of all war crimes charges.
Gbagbo has been serving a prison term for committing crimes against humanity. He has so far spent seven years in detention.
The lawyers said after years of putting the former leader on trial the prosecution has failed to prove its case.
Despite Gbagbo’s acquittal the 73-year-old remains behind bars.
ICC Prosecutors succeeded in applying to have Mr. Gbagbo detained further while an appeal against his acquittal is heard.
Gbagbo’s lawyers on Friday made a case to the ICC judges free him.
Why was Gbagbo arrested?
Violence erupted in Ivory Coast shortly after the 2010 elections when Mr. Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to current president, Alassane Ouattara.
Mr. Gbagbo and his wife Simone, were arrested in 2011 after a brief civil war. He was handed over to the International Criminal Court.
Gbagbo became the first former head of state to be handed over to the ICC and has been on trial since 2016.
He faced four counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, persecution and other inhumane acts during the post-electoral violence between December 2010 and April 2011.
Mr. Gbagbo has however denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated.
Last August Ivory Coast’s former first lady Simone Gbagbo was also released from prison.
Her freedom came thanks to an amnesty granted by the country’s President, Alassane Ouattara. She had been serving a 20-year prison term for undermining state security.
The International Criminal Court also wants Simone to face similar charges, but Ivory Coast has refused to extradite her to The Hague.
Source: Africafeeds.com
