Confirmation of charges hearing in Blé Goudé case opens at ICC: Audio-visual materials

Today, 29 September 2014, the confirmation of charges hearing in the case The Prosecutor v. Charles Blé Goudé opened before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague (Netherlands).

The hearing started with the opening statements of ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, Legal representative of victims Paolina Massidda, and Defence counsel Nick Kaufman. The hearing is scheduled until 2 October 2014. Pre-Trial Chamber I is composed of Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi (presiding judge), Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova and Judge Christine van den Wyngaert.

The confirmation of charges hearing is not a trial. It is a Pre-Trial hearing held to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed each of the crimes charged. If charges are confirmed, the Pre-Trial Chamber commits the case for trial before a Trial Chamber, which conducts the subsequent phase of the proceedings: the trial.

Charles Blé Goudé allegedly bears individual criminal responsibility, as indirect co-perpetrator, for four counts of crimes against humanity, namely murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, persecution, and other inhuman acts, allegedly committed in the territory of Côte d'Ivoire between 16 December 2010 and 12 April 2011.

Further information on this case is available here.

Pictures               

Photographs of the hearing can be downloaded on the Court's Flickr account at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/icc-cpi/sets/72157647753002399/

Audiovisual materials

YOUTUBE (for viewing):

• Opening of the Confirmation of Charges: Hearing
  
• Opening statements of the Office of the Prosecutor
• Opening statements of the Legal representative of Victims
• Opening statements of the Defence | Part 2

AUDIO (for download, mpeg3 format):

• Summary of the opening of the confirmation of charges hearing, (19 MB)
• Opening of the Confirmation of Charges Hearing, (18.8 MB)
• Opening statements of the Office of the Prosecutor
  Floor, (38.2 MB) | French, (38.2 MB)
• Opening statements of the Legal representative of Victims, (23.4 MB)
• Opening statements of the Defence
  Floor, (22.8 MB) | French, (22.8 MB)
  Floor, (16.8 MB) | French, (16.8 MB)

VIDEO (for download, mpeg4):

• Summary of the opening of the confirmation of charges hearing, (160 MB)
• Opening of the Confirmation of Charges Hearing, (94.6 MB)
• Opening statements of the Office of the Prosecutor,
  Floor, (189.3 MB) |  French, (140.2 MB)
• Opening statements of the Legal representative of Victims, (109.2 MB)
• Opening statements of the Defence,
  Floor, (120.8 MB) | French, (91.2 MB)
  Floor, (106.6 MB) | French, (106.9 MB)

Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, Presiding Judge, Pre-Trial Chamber I
Court Officer
Fatou Bensouda, ICC Prosecutor
Eric MacDonald, Senior Trial Lawyer, Office of the Prosecutor
Paolina Massidda, Office of Public Counsel for Victims
Nicholas Kaufman, Defence Counsel

An audio and video summary of the opening of the Confirmation of Charges Hearing will follow shortly.

Related documents

• Decision on the schedule for the confirmation of charges hearing
• Decision on the "Prosecution's Request for Variation of Time Limits Pursuant to Regulation 35 concerning the Confirmation of Charges" 
• Warrant of arrest
• Case Information Sheet: English, Français
• Questions and Answers on the confirmation of charges hearing in the Blé Goudé case: Français
• The Courtroom: English, Français

For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail at: [email protected].

For more information about audiovisual programmes, please contact Violeta Willemsen-Curcic, AV Producer, Public Information and Documentation Section, at +31 (0)70 515-8422 or at [email protected]

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