ICC Prosecutors want ex-Ivory Coast leader Gbagbo barred from returning home

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday asked judges to bar former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo from returning to his homeland, a day after he was acquitted on all charges.

In a filing ahead of a hearing on Wednesday at which judges are expected to discuss the terms of his release, prosecutors said that if they appeal the acquittal, Ivory Coast might not ensure or be able to compel Gbagbo’s return to the Hague.

After Gbagbo’s arrest and extradition in 2011, Ivory Coast’s government has not cooperated with the court in other matters, prosecutors said in a statement.