However, the French court ruled the activists were not able to take legal action against heads of state from foreign countries, in this case Africa.
Denis Sassou-Nguesso of Republic of Congo, Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and the late Omar Bongo of Gabon had all maintained that they were innocent of any crime.
President Ali Bongo of Gabon’s lawyer, who was representing the son of the now-dead father who had been one of the accused, is reported by the Associated Press news agency as "satisfied" by the court’s ruling.
