Former president of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, has been taken into the custody of the International Criminal Court on Tuesday, becoming the first ex-head of state to be detained in ICC custody.
The ICC is investigating reports of killings, rapes and other human rights abuses during a four month conflict between Gbagbo loyalists and Alassane Quattara's French-backed forces. Both sides have been accused of heinous crimes.
Human Rights Watch welcomed the decision as "a major step toward ensuring justice".
Elise Keppler, senior international justice counsel at HRW, said,
"This is a big day for the victims of Côte d'Ivoire's horrific post-election violence. That Laurent Gbagbo now has to answer to the court sends a strong message to Ivorian political and military leaders that no one should be above the law."
She went on to urge the ICC prosecutor to investigate Quattara's forces swiftly.
Gbagbo was deposed in April. Over 3000 people are believed to have been killed and over one million displaced.
