The International Criminal Court (ICC) has laid out conditions for the release of former Cote d’Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo.
The Hague-based court said the 73-year-old will be released on condition that he is accepted by a country that would be willing to cooperate in enforcing any future decisions it makes.
It is thus not clear if Gbagbo – who was acquitted by the court – can go home after spending seven years behind bars.
The conditions set means the court may demand he returns to the Hague in the event of a retrial.
The prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she would lodge an appeal against the former president’s acquittal, meaning he could be called back to the court.
Gbagbo’s trial began in 2016 accused of crimes against humanity allegedly committed following Cote d’Ivoire’s 2010 election.
Gbagbo refused to concede defeat in that vote, sparking violent clashes between forces loyal to him and those loyal to current President Alassane Ouattara.
The violence left some 3,000 people dead and 500,000 others displaced.
Gbagbo was captured in 2011 by Ouattara’s troops, aided by UN and French forces, and sent to stand trial at the International Criminal Court.
