Ivory Coast's ex-President Laurent
Gbagbo has denied charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, as his
landmark trial began at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The charges relate to the country's
civil conflict that erupted after Mr Gbagbo lost elections in 2010.
He is the first ex-head of state to
stand trial at the ICC in The Hague.
Former militia leader Charles Ble
Goude, 44, is also on trial and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The trial could last three or four
years.
As it began, Mr Gbagbo, 70, appeared
relaxed, smiling and shaking hands with his defence team.
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| Former militia leader Charles Ble Goude |
He was arrested in April 2011 by
forces loyal to President Ouattara, backed by troops from former colonial power
France, and later that year was extradited to The Hague.
It will be the highest-profile trial
yet for the ICC, which has only convicted two Congolese warlords since its
establishment in 2002.
Mr Gbagbo and Mr Ble Goude are
accused of four charges - murder, rape, attempted murder and persecution.
Judges will
decide whether there is enough evidence to try him for masterminding a bloody
election standoff two years ago.
Meanwhile, tensions are still high in the West African nation, around 200 Gbagbo loyalists
staged a protest in The Hague on Tuesday morning, calling for their leader to
be freed.
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| Mr Gbagbo was arrested with his wife Simone in 2011; she would later be sentenced to 20 years in jail by an Ivory Coast court. |
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