The International Criminal Court, ICC, judges have upheld the acquittals of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo, 75, and former minister Charles Ble Goude on charges of involvement in deadly post-election violence.
Both were acquitted in 2019 of responsibility for crimes including murder, rape and persecution following disputed elections in 2010, with judges saying prosecutors failed to prove their case.
The decision halted the trial before defense lawyers had even presented their evidence.
The prosecution has appealed against the acquittal and wants a retrial over the bloodshed, when more than 3,000 people were killed after Gbagbo disputed the results of the 2010 vote.
The verdict was closely watched in Ivory Coast, where Gbagbo’s shadow still hangs over a nation that remains mired in political crisis.
The appeals panel decision at the ICC to reject the prosecutors’ appeal against the acquittal officially ends proceedings against the two formal Ivorian leaders.
Supporters of Gbagbo were seen jubilating outside the court building after the decision.
