The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday convicted Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, a 56-year-old former Central African Republic rebel commander, of four counts of crimes against humanity, including torture and unlawful imprisonment. The ICC found that Abdel Kani oversaw beatings and maltreatment as head of a feared prison unit as the Central African Republic spiralled into civil war in 2013.
Abdel Kani, a top commander of the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel group, was accused of torturing detainees during civil unrest in 2013 in the Central African Republic. The ICC will deliver a sentence for the crimes at a later date. Abdel Kani was also acquitted of three counts of war crimes.
The ICC found that Abdel Kani ran the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry (OCRB) detention centre in the capital Bangui, where horrific acts of torture and deprivation were inflicted on prisoners. A frequently used torture method was "arbatachar", in which prisoners' hands, elbows, and feet were tied tightly together behind their backs.
The court acknowledged the suffering and trauma of the victims, who testified about the long-lasting impact of the crimes on them, their families, and their lives. One victim cited by the judge said he had been "completely unbalanced and that his life had been completely destroyed by the mistreatment he suffered."
Abdel Kani kept some detainees in a cramped cell under his office without sanitary facilities, according to the ruling. Detainees had to urinate and defecate inside the underground cell, which was dark, cramped, dirty, and insufficiently ventilated. The floor was covered in waste and it smelled of faeces and urine.
The Seleka overthrow of President Francois Bozize sparked a catastrophic civil war in the country of some five million people, with thousands of civilians losing their lives and war crimes alleged on both sides. Bozize set up militias dominated by Christians and animists, known as "anti-Balakas", to regain power.
The ICC is the world's only independent tribunal capable of prosecuting those accused of the world's worst crimes. Last year, the ICC convicted two top anti-Balaka figures for war crimes. Ex-sports minister Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona received 12 years for 28 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, while Alfred Yekatom, a former MP, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for 20 war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Key points
- The ICC convicted Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of four counts of crimes against humanity, including torture and unlawful imprisonment.
- Abdel Kani oversaw beatings and maltreatment as head of a feared prison unit as the Central African Republic spiralled into civil war in 2013.
- The ICC will deliver a sentence for the crimes at a later date.
