Direct from the ICC.
Situation: Côte d’Ivoire
Case: The Prosecutor v. Charles Blé Goudé
Today, on 22 March 2014, Charles Blé Goudé was surrendered to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the national authorities of Côte d´Ivoire following a warrant of arrest issued by the ICC on 21 December 2011. He is being transferred to the ICC detention Centre at The Hague, Netherlands.
Pre-Trial Chamber I will set a date for the initial appearance hearing in due course. During the initial appearance hearing, the Chamber will verify the identity of the suspect and the language in which he is able to follow the proceedings. He will be informed of the charges against him.
The date and time of the initial appearance hearing will be announced in due course by a media advisory and on the ICC Twitter account.
Background: On 30 September 2013, ICC Judges unsealed an arrest warrant against Charles Blé Goudé, initially issued on 21 December 2011. Charles Blé Goudé, national of Côte d’Ivoire, 42 years of age, allegedly bears individual criminal responsibility, as indirect co-perpetrator, for four counts of crimes against humanity, namely murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, persecution, and other inhuman acts, allegedly committed in the territory of Côte d’Ivoire between 16 December 2010 and 12 April 2011.
Pre-Trial Chamber I is composed of Judges Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi (presiding judge) Hans-Peter Kaul and Christine van den Wyngaert. The arrest warrant against Charles Blé Goudé is one of the 3 arrest warrants issued until now by the ICC in the context of the Court’s investigation in Côte d’Ivoire.
On 3 October 2011, Pre-Trial Chamber III granted the Prosecutor’s request for authorisation to open investigations proprio motu into the situation in Côte d’Ivoire with respect to alleged crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction, committed since 28 November 2010, as well as with regard to crimes that may be committed in the future in the context of this situation. On 22 February 2012, Pre-Trial Chamber III expanded its authorisation to include crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction allegedly committed between 19 September 2002 and 28 November 2010. The ICC Office of the Prosecutor’s investigation in Côte d’Ivoire is on-going.
Côte d’Ivoire had accepted the Court’s jurisdiction on 18 April 2003 and this was reconfirmed by the Ivoirian Presidency on 14 December 2010 and 3 May 2011. On 15 February 2013, Côte d’Ivoire ratified the Rome Statute.
