OUSTED Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo was the the victim of a French-backed coup, his defence team told the International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday.

Lawyer Emmanuel Altit told the court at The Hague in the Netherlands that Mr Gbagbo was working to restore democracy in his country when he was overthrown by supporters of current President Alassane Ouattara backed by French commandos and mercenaries.

On Thursday, Mr Gbagbo and co-defendant Charles Ble Goude pleaded not guilty to four charges — including murder and rape allegedly committed by his supporters during violence that left 3,000 people dead after the 2010 presidential election.

Prosecutors accused Mr Gbagbo last week of unleashing violence to cling to office after losing a run-off vote to Mr Ouattara.

Mr Altit called that version of events a “political narrative … intended to justify the use of force against President Gbagbo.”

Mr Gbagbo was overthrown by forces loyal to Rally of the Republicans candidate — and former International Monetary Fund deputy managing director — Mr Ouattara after months of street violence in the wake of the election, which international observers and and the African Union confirmed Mr Ouattara had won.

On December 2 2010, Ivorian Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairman Youssouf Bakayoko announced Mr Ouattara’s victory from the opposition candidate’s campaign headquarters because he said he felt it would not be safe for him to speak from the IEC offices.

The Constitutional Council then declared Mr Gbagbo the winner after annulling votes from seven northern regions, alleging that polling had been marred by intimidation by Mr Outtara’s forces.

Both candidates had themselves sworn in, provoking a bloody conflict in which the prosecution alleges Mr Gbagbo unleashed Liberian mercenaries on ethnic minorities which had supported Mr Ouattara.

French special forces intervened on behalf on Mr Ouattara, storming the presidential palace and facilitating Mr Gbagbo’s arrest.

He has now become the first head of state to face trial at the ICC.