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.

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.

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.