Editing Laurent Gbagbo (section)

===Proceedings in the ICC and acquittal===
The confirmation of charges hearing was scheduled for 18 June 2012, but was postponed to 13 August 2012, to give his defense team more time to prepare. The hearing was then postponed indefinitely, citing concerns over Gbagbo's health.<ref>{{cite web |last=Merrill|first=Austin|title=Ivory Coast: Sympathizers Defend Gbagbo |url = http://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/ivory-coast-laurent-gbagbo-alassane-ouattara-civil-war-cocoa |work=Ivory Coast: Cocoa, Justice, and the Road to Reconciliation |publisher=Pulitzer Center/Foreign Policy }}</ref>

Gbagbo's trial at the ICC began on 28 January 2016, where he denied all charges against him; [[crimes against humanity]] including murder, [[rape]] and [[persecution]], as did his co-accused [[Charles Blé Goudé]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35424653|title=Laurent Gbagbo: Ivory Coast ex-leader denies war crimes|work=BBC News|date=28 January 2016|access-date=30 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/01/28/world/europe/ap-eu-international-court-ivory-coast.html |title=Ex-Ivory Coast Leader Pleads Not Guilty to Atrocities |date=28 January 2016 |agency=Associated Press|access-date=30 January 2016|via=[[The New York Times]] }}</ref> Due to presenting a flight risk and maintaining a network of supporters, judges ordered him to remain in detention during his trial.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://ewn.co.za/2017/09/27/icc-former-ivory-coast-president-gbagbo-to-remain-in-detention-for-trial |title = ICC: Former Ivory Coast president Gbagbo to remain in detention for trial |agency = Reuters |access-date=26 October 2017 |language=en }}</ref> From January 2016 to January 2018, ICC prosecutors presented the testimony of 82 witnesses and thousands of pieces of evidence. Gbagbo filed a "[[no case to answer]]" motion in July 2018, and hearings were held in November 2018.<ref name="Batros"/>

On 15 January 2019 Gbagbo and Goudé were acquitted by an ICC panel and their release was ordered.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/15/ex-ivory-coast-president-laurent-gbagbo-acquitted-at-icc |title = Ex-Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo acquitted at ICC |last=Maclean |first=Ruth |date=15 January 2019 |newspaper = The Guardian}}</ref>  Presiding Judge [[Cuno Tarfusser]] and Judge Geoffrey Henderson ruled in favor of release; Judge [[Olga Venecia Herrera Carbuccia|Olga Carbuccia]] issued a [[dissenting opinion]].<ref name="Batros"/>

Many within the Ivory Coast celebrated Gbagbo's acquittal.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-46881807/crowds-react-to-ivory-coast-s-ex-president-laurent-gbagbo-s-release | title=  Crowds react to Ivory Coast's ex-President Laurent Gbagbo's release | date = 15 January 2019 | access-date = 15 January 2019 |work=BBC News}}</ref> [[Amnesty International]] called the acquittal of Gbagbo and Blé Goudé "a crushing disappointment to victims of post-election violence in Cote d'Ivoire" but noted that the Office of the Prosecutor was likely to appeal.<ref>[https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/cote-divoire-acquittal-of-gbagbo-and-ble-goude-a-crushing-disappointment-to-victims-of-post-election-violence/ Cote d'Ivoire: Acquittal of Gbagbo and Blé Goudé a crushing disappointment to victims of post-election violence], Amnesty International (15 January 2018).</ref> The proceedings against Gbagbo were the first against a head of state undertaken by the ICC, and the failure of the ICC to convict Gbagbo for the mass atrocities was said by analysts to significantly impair the credibility of the ICC as a court of last resort.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46874517 |title=  Laurent Gbagbo case: Ivory Coast leader's acquittal rattles ICC foundations | first=  Anna | last = Holligan | date = 15 January 2019 | access-date = 15 January 2019 | work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/15/world/africa/laurent-gbagbo-ivory-coast-icc.html | title=  Laurent Gbagbo, Former Ivory Coast Leader, Acquitted of Crimes Against Humanity | first1 =  Dionne | last1 = Searcey | first2= Palko | last2= Karasz  | date =15 January 2019 | access-date = 15 January 2019 | work = [[The New York Times]] }}</ref>