A court in Ivory Coast has sentenced former
first lady Simone Gbagbo to 20 years in prison, the
official AIP news agency said.
Gbagbo was convicted Monday for her role in
carrying out crimes against humanity following post-
election violence in 2010 which left more than 3,000
people dead.
Her husband, former president Laurent Gbagbo, is in
the custody of the Hague-based International
Criminal Court awaiting trial over similar charges.
The charges stem from the aftermath of Gbagbo's
husband's election defeat in 2010.
Laurent Gbagbo, then the incumbent president,
refused to step down after Alassane Ouattara was
declared the winner of the election. The standoff
sparked months of violence between supporters of
the two sides, leaving thousands dead.
In 2012, the ICC issued a warrant against her,
alleging that as a member of the president's inner
circle, his wife was an "indirect co-perpetrator." She
attended meetings where plans were discussed and
carried out to persecute Ouattara supporters,
according to the warrant.
Her husband surrendered to the ICC in December of
that year, and is currently awaiting trial at The
Hague on crimes against humanity for the civil unrest
and deaths.
Both have denied the charges.
But Ivory Coast refused to transfer Simone Gbago,
saying it would try her in a domestic court instead.
On Monday, it did.
CNN's Faith Karimi contributed to this report.
source: CNN.com
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