The former Ivorian First Lady’s lawyers requested for time to meet their clients.

The first interrogation of the former First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Simone Gbagbo  in the ongoing trial in connection with charges  of her alleged role in the October 2010 post-election violence in which some 3,000 people died,  will be on Tuesday, January 6, 2015.

 Tahirou Dembelé the President of the Abidjan court handling the case on December 30, 2014 granted the request of Simone Gbagbo’s lawyers who asked for more time to meet their clients, Fraternité Martin reported. Simone Gbagbo is being trial along with 82 civilian and military supporters of her husband, former President Laurent Gbagbo. Speaking on behalf of the nine defence lawyers, Dadjé Rodrigue said they had not yet met their clients to better prepare the defence. While granting the request, the court president said he wanted to ensure a fair and equitable trial.

When the trial began on December 26, Soungalo Coulibaly, the prosecutor handling the case said Simone Gbagbo, “If she is found guilty, she will get 20 years to life because we are talking about a crime against state security.”

The nine jurors handling the case have to find facts  that justify the accusations that Simone Gbagbo  and the 82 other co-accused  helped  her husband to steal an election that he lost in 2010 and resisting efforts to dislodge him in a civil war that followed. Laurent Gbagbo was driven from the presidency in April 2011 and replaced by the winner of the October 2010 vote, Alassane Ouattara.