Amnesty – 2003
2003
The Linas-Marcoussis Agreement required the transitional government to grant amnesty to “all military personnel detained on charges of threatening State security,” as well as soldiers living in exile. However, human rights and international law violations were to be exempt.
President Laurent Gbagbo announced on July 4, 2003, that his government had approved a draft amnesty law. The Amnesty Act was passed by the National Assembly on August 6, 2003, and promulgated on August 8.[1] The Amnesty Act covered specific clashes between government and rebel forces between September 2000 and September 2002 and exempted certain crimes such as human rights and international law violations.[2]
[1] “Cote d’Ivoire: President approves amnesty law for rebels,” ReliefWeb, July 4, 2003, accessed October 16, 2018 from https://reliefweb.int/report/c%C3%B4te-divoire/c%C3%B4te-divoire-president-approves-amnesty-law-rebels
[2] “Letter dated 12 August 2003 from the Permanent Representative of Cote d’Ivoire to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council,” United Nations (S/2003/810), August 13, 2003.