Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo on Thursday told the International Criminal Court which is weighing whether to charge him with crimes against humanity that he had always been pro-democracy. "All my life, I fought for democracy," Gbagbo told the court that will decide whether to charge him over 2010-2011 post-election violence in the west African nation that claimed over 3,000 lives.

Ivory Coast's army has committed "widespread human rights violations" against supporters of ousted former president Laurent Gbagbo, Amnesty International said in a report published Tuesday. A restructuring of the Ivory Coast Republican Forces (FRCI), to incorporate former rebels, began after a violent post-electoral crisis which lasted from December 2010 to April 2011, claiming about 3,000 lives while Gbagbo refused to concede defeat at the polls to President Alassane Ouattara.

Laurent Gbagbo's lawyer hit out at a "political trial" at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday, where judges are to decide if the Ivorian ex-president should face charges of crimes against humanity. Gbagbo, 67, is the first former head of state brought before the ICC, where he is accused of masterminding a campaign of violence during a bloody 2010-2011 presidential election standoff in the West African nation in which over 3,000 people died.

* Court to hear if accusations can lead to full trial * Gbagbo lawyers accuse court of victor's justice * Prosecutor promises Gbagbo will answer for actions (Adds prosecutor quotes, Gbagbo behaviour in court) By Thomas Escritt THE HAGUE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Former Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo sat motionless as the International Criminal Court's prosecutor accused him on Tuesday of plunging his country into chaos in a bid to hold power after losing 2010 polls.