ICC convicts Central African rebel commander Mahamat Said of crimes against humanity

The verdict in The Hague

On 23 September 2026, judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague convicted Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of crimes against humanity. The 56-year-old former commander in the Central African Republic was found guilty on four counts, including torture, persecution, imprisonment or severe deprivation of physical liberty, and other inhumane acts. Presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba delivered the judgment during a session where Said sat wearing a blue sweater and jeans, shaking his head at several points. The chamber acquitted Said of three war crimes charges that had been brought against him. The court announced that sentencing will take place at a later date, with penalties potentially reaching life imprisonment.

Abuses at the Bangui detention facility

The convictions relate to events between April and August 2013, when the Central African Republic was gripped by violent sectarian conflict following the overthrow of President François Bozizé. Said held a command position within the Seleka, a predominantly Muslim rebel coalition that seized control of the capital, Bangui. During this period, Said supervised daily operations at the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry, a specialized police unit known as the OCRB. Detainees identified as suspected supporters of the ousted president were brought to the site, where guards tied their hands, elbows, and feet behind their backs, beat them with cords and whips, and poured water over them. Judges established that Said directed these operations, attended interrogations, and directly beat at least one prisoner.

After analyzing the evidence produced at trial, the judges concluded that Mahamat Said was guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crimes of imprisonment or other form of severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, persecution and other inhumane acts, constituting crimes against humanity.

Cell conditions and victim testimonies

Court findings detailed severe conditions inside the OCRB complex, where detainees experienced extreme deprivation and trauma. Multiple witnesses described overcrowded cells with interior walls marked by bullet holes and bloodstains. Several prisoners were held in a windowless underground room directly below Said's office, known as the hole, which lacked any ventilation or sanitary facilities. Inmates were forced to urinate and defecate on the waste-strewn floor of the dark underground space. The court noted that detainees were denied food and water, leading some to drink their own urine to survive, while victims reported permanent physical and psychological damage that altered their lives.

Tribunal timeline and Seleka proceedings

The decision marks the first International Criminal Court verdict delivered against a commander from the Seleka rebel coalition. The conflict in the nation of approximately five million people involved fighting between Seleka forces and the opposing Christian anti-Balaka militia, leading the United Nations in 2018 to accuse both factions of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Central African authorities arrested Said and transferred him to The Hague in January 2021, and his trial opened in September 2022. Said pleaded not guilty to all charges throughout the proceedings, denying criminal responsibility until the delivery of the guilty verdict.