Although the Ivorian constitution protects freedom of assembly, Ivorian law requires opposition parties to request permits for public rallies. The prevalence of arbitrary arrests, mistreatment of detainees, and unlawful killings by the security forces lessened again in 2017, but investigations and prosecutions of those who commit abuses were rare. 2018 Amnesty Should Exclude War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity. Other than the Blé Goudé’s case, however, the Special Cell has frozen its investigations, making it unlikely that alleged perpetrators will ever face trial. It also criminalizes abortion except where necessary to protect the life of the mother or for victims of rape. Stay up to date and learn about key human rights issues in Côte d’Ivoire. Ivorian judges have yet to complete an investigation into violent intercommunal clashes between pastoralists and farmers in Bouna in March 2016, which left at least 27 people dead and thousands more displaced. Online activist Soro Tangboho was arrested in November 2018 for live streaming police officers whom, he claimed, were extorting money from motorists. Ivorian judges continued to investigate crimes committed by both sides during the 2010-11 post-election crisis, but the deeply flawed trial of former First Lady Simone Gbagbo, acquitted on March 28, raised doubts about Ivorian courts’ ability to effectively try serious human rights cases. The arrest of several opposition or civil society figures for organizing anti-government protests raised concerns of a closing of civic space ahead of the 2020 presidential elections. Opposition parliamentarian Alain Lobognon was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment on January 29, reduced to a six-month suspended sentence on appeal, for disclosing “fake news” after alleging on social media that police were planning to imprison an opposition mayor whom the government had accused of corruption. Côte d’Ivoire in July 2019 adopted a new forestry code that signals a renewed effort to protect and rehabilitate the country’s protected forests, which have been devastated by cocoa farming. Cameroun – Côte d’Ivoire : Human Rights Watch épinglé . Dozens of former President Gbagbo supporters arrested for their alleged role in the post-election crisis or subsequent attacks against the state remain in extended pretrial detention. Security forces opened fire on protesters demonstrating against the arrest of an opposition politician in Bouaké on October 3, killing one person and injuring several others. Human Rights Watch dénonce les meurtres de partisans pro-Gbagbo à Abidjan. (Nairobi) – Heavily-armed criminals are subjecting residents of northern Côte d’Ivoire to a relentless pace of often-violent attacks on buses and private vehicles and in villages, Human Rights Watch said today. Prison conditions and overcrowding remained a problem. The mandate of the UN independent expert on human rights in Côte d’Ivoire expired June 30 and was not renewed by the Human Rights Council. It inherited UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI’s) human rights mandate upon UNOCI’s departure in June 2017 but acknowledged it did not have UNOCI’s resources. However, ongoing indiscipline by members of the security services and violent army mutinies demonstrated the precariousness of the country’s newfound stability. Incidents of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons, including physical assaults, are common. A peaceful transfer of power from one elected president to another would May 15, 2017. President Alassane Ouattara has said that no further suspects will be transferred to The Hague. The justice system lacks independence and judges regularly experience pressure from the executive. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is continuing its investigations in Côte d’Ivoire following the court’s January 2019 acquittal of Laurent Gbagbo for crimes against humanity during the 2010-11 post-election crisis, which is currently under appeal by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP). Judges report that the risk of interference is greatest in political cases, but can occur in any civil or criminal trial. However, the only national civilian trials so far are those of Simone Gbagbo and General Dogbo Blé, the ex-leader of President Gbagbo’s Republican Guard, convicted April 14 with five others for the kidnapping and murder of four foreigners on April 4, 2011. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/cote-divoire Human rights in Côte d’Ivoire remain restricted in 2017. At time of writing, the case had not yet been decided. The decree lacks detail on how the law’s implementation will be monitored. Neither the special cell nor the ICC are investigating crimes committed during election-related violence in 2000 or the 2002-2003 armed conflict. Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in 90 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808. Many members of the security forces, including senior army officers, continued to engage in racketeering and extortion. Some provisions of the new laws, however, could be used to restrict freedom of assembly and expression. The law confirmed the age of consent for marriage as 18, but child marriage is still common. Opposition and some civil society organizations strongly criticized the reforms, arguing that the government’s role in nominating members of the commission means it will still be subject to executive influence. The main opposition party, which boycotted the 2011 legislative elections, participated and won seats. An ICC trial chamber on January 15 acquitted Gbagbo and Blé Goudé of crimes against humanity after an almost three-year trial, ending the case before the defense was even required to present evidence. Selon l’ONG Human Rights Watch, la Côte d’Ivoire doit éviter les violences et les abus pendant l’élection présidentielle qui doit se tenir ce dimanche (New York, le 30 octobre 2020) – Au moins 20 personnes auraient été tuées lors de violents incidents intercommunautaires et politiques à l’approche de l’élection présidentielle du 31 octobre 2020 en Côte d’Ivoire. The political and military impasse between the Ivorian government and northern-based New Forces rebels resulted in 2006 in continued human rights abuses by all sides, a further erosion of the rule of law, and yet another postponement of elections that were to have taken place in October. Le maintien de la stabilité politique de la Côte d’Ivoire et sa forte croissance macroéconomique ont fourni en 2016 des conditions propices à une amélioration progressive de l’état de droit et de la réalisation des droits économiques et sociaux. Mr Ayat congratulated the National Commission for Human Rights in Côte d’Ivoire (CNDHCI) for its growing dynamism and stated that “the recommendations of the annual report … The government in May indefinitely delayed a parliamentary vote on a new press law, which was criticized by media freedom groups for stipulating harsh penalties for vaguely defined media offenses. In its written decision on July 16, the two-judge majority strongly criticized the weakness of the prosecution evidence. However, some of them remain in positions of authority within the armed forces. The National Assembly and Senate in July and August enacted reforms to modify the composition of the election commission, as required by a 2016 judgment by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Pushback Against the Populist Challenge. Human Rights Watch | 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor | New York, NY 10118-3299 USA | t 1.212.290.4700 Côte d’Ivoire’s continued strong economic growth in 2019 led to some improvements in social and economic rights. In the year after President Ouattara’s August 2018 amnesty for crimes committed during the 2010-11 post-election violence, there was little progress in domestic investigations by the Special Investigative and Examination Cell. Several army commanders allegedly responsible for atrocities during the 2002-03 armed conflict and 2010-11 crisis were promoted in January. Past government-led forestry reclamation efforts left thousands of evicted farmers’ families without access to adequate food, water, or shelter. The vast majority of rural land, however, remained unregistered. Côte d’Ivoire . Serving and demobilized soldiers were also implicated in a series of attacks on police and gendarme installations. Between 1990 33.2and 2019, Côte d'Ivoire’s HDI value increased from 0.404 to 0.538, an increase of percent. The government in 2016 created a new rural land agency to streamline the land registration process, with the agency to become operational in 2018. On June 26, President Ouattara promulgated a new criminal code that makes the organization of an “undeclared or prohibited” demonstration punishable by one to three years’ imprisonment and a financial penalty. The government passed laws that defined torture as a stand-alone crime and introduced measures that could reduce reliance on pretrial detention and improve marriage equality. The new law could also introduce time limits on pretrial detention and, if properly implemented, would offer sentencing alternatives to prison, such as probation or community service. The cell has charged high-level perpetrators from both sides, including several pro-Ouattara commanders now in senior positions in the army. In October and November, at least 10 people were killed during clashes between rival groups for control of territory in protected forests in western Côte d’Ivoire. The new criminal code creates a presumption of consent to sex between married couples, which could prevent victims of marital rape from pursuing successful prosecutions. France, the US, and the EU remained major donors, including in the justice and security sector, although Côte d’Ivoire has increasingly strong economic ties with China. The UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) concluded its 13-year peacekeeping mission on June 30, 2017, leaving the European Union, France, and the United States as Côte d’Ivoire’s principal partners on justice and security-sector reform. The CNDH inherited the UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI’s) human rights mandate upon UNOCI’s departure in 2017 but acknowledged it did not have UNOCI’s resources or its autonomy. The Ivorian government stated in February that the amnesty law does not preclude Ivorian judges from investigating the worst crimes committed during the crisis, noting that it does not apply to individuals who are “members of the military and armed groups.” On November 6, Ivorian judges confirmed charges against Blé Goudé in Côte d’Ivoire for alleged crimes during the 2010-11 post-election crisis, including murder, rape, and torture. Six journalists were detained on February 12 for 48 hours on charges of publishing false information after reporting on alleged bonuses paid to mutineers from the army’s special forces. Côte d'Ivoire, which has lost vast swathes of forest to cocoa farming, announced in September a policy to devolve responsibility for reforestation to private businesses. President Alassane Ouattara promulgated a new constitution in January, which establishes a vice president position and a second legislative chamber, with one-third of its members appointed by the president. However, the new marriage law defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and incidents of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons—including physical assaults—are common. Countries participating in the United Nations review of Côte d’Ivoire’s human rights record should question the government’s failure to deliver justice to victims of 2010-11 post-election abuses, Human Rights Watch said today. In a violation of the right to freedom of expression, Sam Mohammed, a businessman and opposition supporter, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment on March 31 for slander and defamation, after he questioned President Ouattara’s Ivorian nationality at a public rally. Côte d’Ivoire. HRW – Human Rights Watch. The CNDH inherited the UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI’s) human rights mandate upon UNOCI’s departure in 2017 but acknowledged it did not have UNOCI’s resources or its autonomy. At least 14 people died and dozens were injured during clashes between communities in Béoumi, in northern Côte d’Ivoire, on May 15 and 16. The owner of the property where the arms were discovered, a senior aide to National Assembly president Guillaume Soro, was arrested and detained on October 9. Security forces have largely failed to protect the population or investigate the crimes. The cell, established in 2011, had in previous years charged more than two dozen senior military officers and political leaders with crimes against humanity or war crimes. Divisive political rhetoric, residual tensions from the 2018 local elections, and recurring disputes over access to land led to an increase in intercommunal tensions. Having first awarded cash payments and medical care to 4,500 victims, the government began a second phase of largely non-monetary assistance in October. Côte d'Ivoire: Côte d’Ivoire : Violences postélectorales et répression Plus de 50 personnes ont été tuées depuis l’élection présidentielle et plus d’une dizaine de leaders de l’opposition ont été arrêtés (New York) – Les autorités ivoiriennes devraient de toute urgence … Close to 130 detainees escaped in a series of prison breaks in August and September, although at least 42 were subsequently recaptured. Consensual sexual relations between consenting individuals of the same sex are not criminalized in Côte d’Ivoire. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/cote-divoire Côte d’Ivoire has not yet delivered justice for victims of grave crimes by both sides in the country’s 2010-2011 post-election crisis. On May 7, 2019, Côte d’Ivoire will undergo its third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. A flurry of law reforms led to some improvements in the legal protection of human rights. The new criminal code removed references to acts between members of the same sex as an aggravating factor in cases of public indecency. A government reparations program continued to give victims of the 2002-2011 conflicts financial payments, medical treatment, and other forms of assistance. However, fundamental problems remain, including excessive use of pretrial detention and a lack of judicial independence, particularly in political trials. The holding of cour d’assises sessions has enabled some trials and convictions for rape, but many sexual assaults are reclassified as lesser offenses or settled out of court. Members of the security forces continued to engage in racketeering and extortion, particularly at checkpoints on secondary roads. Although the UN reported in January 2017 that the number of reported cases of sexual and gender-based violence has progressively decreased since 2014, social stigma and widespread impunity prevents many victims from reporting abuses. The mutinies triggered sporadic demonstrations by other elements of the security forces and demobilized fighters, leaving 11 more dead, including four ex-soldiers killed in a clash with police on May 23. Three opposition politicians were given disproportionate 30-month sentences May 26 for their role in a banned opposition rally in May 2015. World Report 2017 - Côte d’Ivoire. On December 21, 2018, the National Assembly adopted a new Code of Criminal Procedure that replaced the Cour d’Assises, a criminal court that sat only periodically, with permanent criminal courts able to try the most serious offenses.