Ivory Coast former first lady makes first court appearance News
Ivory Coast former first lady makes first court appearance

[JURIST] Former Ivory Coast first lady Simone Gbagbo [ICC case materials] made her her first appearance before a domestic court Monday, questioning charges against her. Gbagbo is on trial for her role in the violence following the disputed 2010 election between her husband, Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara [BBC backgrounder]. Ouattara was declared the winner, sparking violence that left 3,000 dead and more than one million homeless. The Gbagbos were arrested after a military assault by the UN and French Army. In court on Monday, Simone Gbagbo provided evidence and stated that she was not sure [France24 report] what she was being charged with. She stated also that her husband was the actual winner of the election, not Outtara.

Simone Gbagbo’s trial started [JURIST report] in late December. Her defense lawyer stated that she was innocent and that the charges against her lacked evidence, framing the whole thing as a political attack. In November 2012 the International Criminal Court unsealed [JURIST report] an arrest warrant for Simone Gbagbo for crimes against humanity during the post-election violence, but the Ivory Coast has opted to try her domestically.

THIS DAY @ LAW

World court established at The Hague

On December 13, 1920, the League of Nations Assembly, sitting in Geneva, approved the statute setting up the Permanent Court of International Justice at The Hague.

Learn more about the Permanent Court of International Justice. Visit the website of the Permanent Court's successor body, the International Court of Justice.

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On December 13, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson arrived in France to negotiate a treaty to conclude World War I. Wilson was the first U.S. President to visit Europe while in office. His meeting with the other Allied leaders would result in the Treaty of Versailles, which created the League of Nations and redrew borders across Europe. The treaty, however, was rejected by the U.S. Senate, thus preventing the U.S. from joining the League with the other major powers.