THE HAGUE, Netherlands — International Criminal Court judges found Mahamat Said Abdel Kani guilty on September 23 of crimes against humanity committed in the Central African Republic in 2013. The convictions cover imprisonment or other severe deprivation of liberty, torture, persecution, and other inhumane acts. The judges did not find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the war crimes charges. International Criminal Court
Said was a senior member of the Séléka rebel movement and, according to prosecutors, served as the de facto head of the Office Central de Répression du Banditisme, or OCRB, in Bangui. The case centered on civilians detained and mistreated there between May and August 2013 because they were perceived as supporters of former President François Bozizé. International Criminal Court
The court found that Séléka members used several markers to identify alleged Bozizé supporters, including religion, ethnicity, gender, political background, profession, and where a person lived. The prosecutor’s office said detainees were subjected to a torture method known as arbatachar, in which victims were tied up. International Criminal Court
Acting Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang called the judgment a step toward accountability for crimes committed in the Central African Republic and acknowledged the suffering of those detained and mistreated. Prosecutors said they would review the judgment before deciding how to respond to the dismissal of the war crimes charges. International Criminal Court
The trial opened in September 2022. Prosecutors presented testimony from 81 witnesses and more than 2,500 pieces of evidence, including documents, photographs, and video. Said was the first senior Séléka member to stand trial at the ICC for crimes attributed to the movement in the Central African Republic. International Criminal Court
The judges have not yet determined Said’s sentence. The court says sentencing will follow in due course, and a reparations process will begin for victims of the crimes for which he was convicted. International Criminal Court
More Stories
IMF Annual Report Warns Rising Debt and Global Shocks Are Testing Economic Resilience
IMF Sees Brunei Growth Picking Up in 2026 but Warns of Large Budget Deficits
IMF Review Calls for Lending Programs That Can Better Withstand Economic Shocks