First former head of state to appear at the International Criminal Court

Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo (faces four charges of crimes against humanity, including murder and rape, in the wake of Ivory Coast's disputed presidential elections in 2010) has become the first former head of state to appear at the International Criminal Court in The Hague

The charges relate to events between 16 December 2010 and 12 April 2011, when Mr Gbagbo was arrested after UN forces helped bomb pro-Gbagbo positions, after pro-Ouattara forces had entered the main city, Abidjan.
Laurent Gbagbo's arrest follows an ICC investigation into the four months of conflict that began in Ivory Coast when he refused to hand power to his long-time rival Mr Ouattara, who was declared winner of the election.Laurent Gbagbo had been under house arrest since April2011.
The hearing was the first step in a process which could lead to Mr Gbagbo going on trial. The court said it would announced on 18 June 2012 whether to proceed to trial.