Have right to appeal against Ivory Coast ex-president acquittal: ICC prosecutor

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said on Tuesday her office reserved the right to appeal the acquittal of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo on charges of crimes against humanity, though she did not say whether it would do so.

Judges earlier dismissed the charges against Gbagbo and co-defendant Charles Ble Goude, saying Bensouda's office had failed to prove its case against them. In a statement, Bensouda said she had the "right to appeal this decision" and that the prosecution would "make submissions on the matter" at a scheduled hearing on Wednesday. She stopped short of saying whether she would actually appeal the decision or try to stop Gbagbo's release.