Court says Gbagbo must stay in pretrial detention

[October 29, 2013]  THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- International Criminal Court appeals judges say former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo has to stay in custody ahead of his trial on charges of orchestrating post-election violence in 2010.

Gbagbo has been incarcerated in The Hague, Netherlands, for nearly two years and judges have yet to confirm his indictment and order him to stand trial.

In June, the court said the case against him was not strong enough to confirm his indictment and asked prosecutors to file more evidence.

Judges on Tuesday rejected Gbagbo's appeal against his ongoing pretrial detention.

Prosecutors say some 3,000 people died in violence by supporters of both Gbagbo and President Alassane Ouattara in five months of violence after the 2010 Ivory Coast election when Gbagbo refused to accept defeat.

[Associated Press]

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