ICC accuses Libyan prison commander of murder and sexual violence
ICC prosecutors say Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri , a former senior commander at Mitiga prison in Libya, ordered or oversaw murders, torture, rape and other sexual violence between 2015 and 2020 .
ICC prosecutors say Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri , a former senior commander at Mitiga prison in Libya, ordered or oversaw murders, torture, rape and other sexual violence between 2015 and 2020 .
El Hishri was arrested in Germany on July 16 under a sealed ICC warrant and held there until he was transferred to The Hague on Monday , the court confirmed.
The ICC previously called his arrest a major step toward accountability for crimes in Libyan detention centres. His case is also expected to be the first Libyan trial before the Court .
A first hearing is set for Wednesday , where judges will confirm his identity and ensure he understands the charges and his rights. Prosecutors will later present a summary of their evidence, after which judges will decide whether the case should proceed to a full trial, a process likely to take several months .
ICC prosecutors say Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri , a former senior commander at Mitiga prison in Libya, ordered or oversaw murders, torture, rape and other sexual violence between 2015 and 2020 .
The ICC opened its Libya investigation in 2011 , after a UN Security Council referral during the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi . While Gaddafi was killed before his arrest, the Court has issued warrants for nine other Libyan suspects , including one of his sons.
Earlier this year, Libya formally accepted ICC jurisdiction for crimes committed between 2011 and 2027 .
In January, Italy arrested and then released another Mitiga-linked suspect, Ossama Anjiem (Ossama al-Masri) , due to a procedural mistake , a move that drew criticism from human rights groups.
Based on reporting by Africanews.
