Cairo
Judges at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday convicted former Seleka militia leader Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of four counts of crimes against humanity linked to violence in the Central African Republic in 2013.
Said was accused of overseeing a detention facility in Bangui where people suspected of supporting then-President Francois Bozize were subjected to beatings, torture and other abuses. He denied all charges brought against him.
Presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba said Said and others were involved in a plan targeting perceived supporters of Bozize. The court found him guilty of crimes against humanity including persecution and torture.
Judges, however, dismissed several war-crimes charges. They concluded that the armed conflict had already ended when some of the alleged crimes took place, meaning those charges could not be sustained as war crimes.
Said showed little visible reaction as the verdict was delivered in The Hague. A separate hearing will be held to determine his sentence.
The case stems from the Seleka takeover of the Central African Republic in 2013. The predominantly Muslim rebel coalition, whose name means “alliance” in the Sango language, seized power and ousted Bozize, contributing to the rise of opposing anti-Balaka militias.
The ICC opened its investigation into violence in the Central African Republic in 2014. Said was surrendered to the court in January 2021, and his trial opened in September 2022.
His conviction marks the first time an ICC trial has resulted in a guilty verdict against a member of the Seleka militia. The court had previously convicted two anti-Balaka leaders over crimes committed during the conflict.