Cote d'Ivoire opposition blasts trial of party members

Cote d'Ivoire's opposition Popular Front (FPI) says it is displeased with the trial of 84 of its party members on charges of involvement in the 2010-2011 post- election violence. "The FPI is displeased with the fact that 84 of its members have been taken to court while the real political-military criminals are still walking freely," the party of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo said in a statement sent to Xinhua on Monday. On July 10, the Abidjan court of criminal appeal decided to send 84 supporters of the ex-president, including his wife Simone Gbagbo and his son Michel Gbagbo, to the Court of Assizes to respond to charges of threatening state security and committing war crimes, economic crimes and disrupting public order. In the statement, the party's Central Committee said it was "closely following the case of these political prisoners" and accused the government of engaging in "authoritarianism." The party urged the organizations involved in the defense of human rights to use all legitimate and legal actions to ensure the respect of the rights of those opposition members. The FPI expressed "anger" over the call by President Alassane Ouattara during his recent visit to the north of the West African country to "seek for forgiveness" from victims of the post- election crisis. Gbagbo's party accused Ouattara of causing violence and introducing tribalism since entering the country's political scene in 1989. Regarding the proposal to resume dialogue with the government, the FPI insisted that it do so only if its preconditions are addressed. Those conditions include "immediate and unconditional release of its youth leader, Justin Koua, the termination of persecution of its supporters, the unfreezing of the bank accounts of members of the former regime and the appointment of a neutral arbiter to monitor the dialogue between the two parties." More than 3,000 people died in the post-election violence, which ended in April with Gbagbo arrested by forces loyal to Ouattara, whose victory in the polls gained international recognition. Gbagbo was then brought to The Hague to facing anti- humanity charges.