Abidjan , Ivory Coast ( CNN ) -- Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo arrived Wednesday at the International Criminal Court in The Hague to stand trial for his role in his country 's post-election violence that killed thousands . `` It is exactly a year since the presidential election that led to one of the worst episodes of violence Cote d'Ivoire has ever known , '' said Luis Moreno-Ocampo , the court 's chief prosecutor , using the French name for the country . `` In December last year , we put Mr. Gbagbo and the others on notice . Today , we are following up . '' The former president 's initial appearance is scheduled for Monday , the ICC announced . Gbagbo , 66 , was flown out of the northern Ivoirian city of Khorogo , where he had been under house arrest , on an Ivoirian government airplane Tuesday evening , said his adviser , Toussaint Alain . Alain called it an illegal transfer . `` The international court has taken an illegal action . This is a political decision rather than a decision of justice , '' Alain said . The action comes a week before parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in Ivory Coast . Three political parties in an umbrella coalition ( CNRD ) with Gbagbo 's Front Populaire Ivoirien issued a statement saying they would boycott the elections as a result of Gbagbo 's transfer . Last month , Moreno-Ocampo arrived in Ivory Coast to meet with government and opposition leaders and began an inquiry into the West African nation 's post-election violence . In his application to the judges for authorization to investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity , Moreno-Ocampo cited sources who said at least 3,000 people were killed , 72 people disappeared and 520 others were subject to arbitrary arrest and detentions since the November 28 , 2010 , election that resulted in the violence . Gbagbo , the incumbent , refused to cede power even though challenger Alassane Ouattara was internationally recognized as the winner . Months of bloodshed ensued . The political stalemate was settled by Gbagbo 's capture in April by forces loyal to his rival , and he has been detained in the north of Ivory Coast . Gbagbo refused to accept the results of U.N.-certified elections . Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying Gbagbo is `` the first former head of state taken into custody by the ICC . '' President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi have also been subject to ICC arrest warrants , but al-Bashir has not come into ICC custody , nor did Gadhafi , who was killed in October during Libya 's revolution , Human Rights Watch said . `` The ICC is playing its part to show that even those at the highest levels of power can not escape justice when implicated in grave crimes , '' Elise Keppler , senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch , said in a statement . The court charged Gbagbo with four counts of crimes against humanity , `` namely murder , rape and other forms of sexual violence , persecution and other inhuman acts . '' `` This is a big day for the victims of ( Ivory Coast 's ) horrific post-election violence , '' Keppler said . `` That Laurent Gbagbo now has to answer to the court sends a strong message to Ivoirian political and military leaders that no one should be above the law . '' CNN 's Michael Martinez contributed to this report .
NEW : The former president 's initial court appearance is scheduled for Monday . The transfer of Laurent Gbagbo to The Hague is `` illegal , '' his aide says . A three-party coalition says it will boycott the elections . Gbagbo is `` the first former head of state taken into ICC custody , '' Human Rights Watch says .