In Ivory Coast, the appeal trial for the terrorist attack in Grand-Bassam opened Friday, May 17 in the afternoon at the Court of Appeal of the criminal chamber of Abidjan. Four defendants, sentenced at first instance to life in prison, appear again before the Ivorian justice system. But as soon as it opened, the trial was postponed again sine die.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Abidjan, Abdoul Aziz Diallo
The hearing lasted less than 10 minutes. Just time for the president of the Court of Appeal of the criminal chamber of Abidjan, Ouffoué Elvis, to recall the facts held against the four defendants. But also to see that they have no lawyers. Hence the postponement of the trial.
Well before the session adjourned, one of the defendants, Sidi Mouhamed Kounta, prosecuted for having hosted in Abidjan the mastermind of the attack, burst into tears. “ I’m tired I want to see my mother. They destroyed my life and my family. I am not a jihadist “, he lamented.
The civil party, represented by Maître Amadou Camara, deplores the absence of the masterminds of the attack during the trial: “ We believe that those who really committed these acts, those who ordered these acts, must be the same ones who must appear to answer for their actions.summarizes the victims’ lawyer. The people we have today are second-rates, people who have contributed by providing resources, etc. We feel that the real brains are missing from this audience today and that is a frustration. »
The next hearing should be held during the last quarter of the year after the judicial recess. According to a person close to the case, the absence of court-appointed lawyers is due to a conflict between the bar and the Ministry of Justice over their remuneration.
The terrorist attack on the seaside resort of Grand-Bassam on March 13, 2016 left 19 dead and 33 injured.
Also read and listen:Shock waves, the RFI podcast which focuses on localized attacks whose impact has been international