Ivory Coast's Gbagbo appears before ICC

Ivory Coast's deposed former president, Laurent Gbagbo, has become the first former head of state to appear at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. He faces four charges of crimes against humanity. The charges come in the wake of Ivory Coast's brief but intense civil war, which followed Gbagbo's internationally certified defeat at the polls in 2010. Following the vote, Gbagbo refused to step down and cede power to the legitimate president-elect, Alassane Ouattara. As many as 3,000 people were killed in the violence that enued.Gbagbo was not asked to enter a plea during his appearance Monday, though he did deny responsibility for the violence. His transfer from Ivory Coast last week sparked anger from his supporters. Gbagbo's Ivorian Popular Front party has withdrawn from parliamentary elections in protest. Those elections are scheduled to take place December 11.