logo
Office of Prosecutor of International Criminal Court welcomes Germany's arrest of Libyan suspect

Office of Prosecutor of International Criminal Court welcomes Germany's arrest of Libyan suspect

Libya Herald3 days ago
In a statement released last Friday (18 July), the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court welcomed the arrest of the suspect, Mr Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, on 16 July 2025 by authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany pursuant to a warrant of arrest issued by the ICC.
The statement continued: ''A Libyan national, Mr El Hishri was arrested in the context of the Office's ongoing investigation in the Situation in Libya. The Office looks forward to Mr El Hishri's transfer to the ICC in due course.
On the basis of its independent and impartial investigation, the Office alleges that Mr El Hishri, a senior official of the armed group Special Deterrence Forces, known as SDF / RADA, is criminally responsible for numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Libya, in or near Mitiga Prison, from around February 2015 to, at least, early 2020. During that time, Mr El Hishri was one of the most senior officials of Mitiga Prison, where thousands of persons were detained for prolonged periods. The Office filed an application for a warrant for his arrest on 3 April 2025.
In the warrant of arrest it issued on 10 July 2025, Pre-Trial Chamber I agreed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr El Hishri is criminally responsible for crimes including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence.
The arrest of Mr El Hishri is an important development in the Office's efforts to seek accountability in the Situation in Libya, particularly for crimes in detention facilities, in accordance with its renewed strategy under UN Security Council resolution 1970 (2011) and Libya's declaration accepting ICC jurisdiction with respect to alleged crimes in its territory from 2011 to the end of 2027. In recent reports to the UN Security Council, the Office had identified the arrest and trial of a suspect in this situation in 2025 as a key priority. In coordination with the Registry, we have now taken a key step towards realising this priority.
The Office has identified crimes committed in detention facilities as a key line of investigation. It has been able to effectively implement this strategic approach through the excellent work of the Libya Unified Team, under the guidance and leadership of Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan. The Office is grateful to Registry partners who have effectively supported the arrest, in close coordination with the OTP's newly-established Tracking and Information Fusion Section.
This is an important moment. We can now look towards the first judicial proceedings in the Libya situation before the Court. The Prosecution stands ready for Mr El Hishri's trial at the ICC.
Finally, and most importantly, the Office wishes to thank all the victims and witnesses from Libya who have stepped forward to cooperate in the investigation. Their strength, courage and commitment make these important developments possible.
The Office's investigation in the Situation in Libya continues. The work is proceeding across multiple lines of inquiry, including more action with respect to crimes in detention facilities. In pursuing further accountability in this situation, the Office continues to rely on the partnership of national authorities, regional and international organisations, and the communities affected by Rome Statute crimes. ''
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Venezuelans deported from the US 'tortured' in El Salvador prison
Venezuelans deported from the US 'tortured' in El Salvador prison

BBC News

timea day ago

  • BBC News

Venezuelans deported from the US 'tortured' in El Salvador prison

Venezuela has announced an investigation into claims migrants sent to an El Salvador prison from the US suffered human rights than 250 Venezuelans were repatriated to near Caracas on Friday. They had been detained in El Salvador since March following their deportation from the United Attorney General Tarek William Saab said there had been "systemic torture" inside the prison, which included sexual abuse, daily beatings and rotten prison Salvador is yet to respond to the claims. During a press conference, Saab presented testimonies and images appearing to show detainees with injuries including bruising and missing teeth. These claims have not been independently verified by the BBC. Venezuela will investigate El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and Head of Prisons Osiris Luna attorney general urged the International Criminal Court (ICC), the UN Human Rights Council and relevant bodies in the Americas to "do the same". Venezuela is currently facing an investigation by the ICC in The Hague for allegations similar to those the country is levelling at El Salvador, including torturing prisoners and denying them access to legal representation. The Venezuelans were deported in March under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which gives a US president power to detain and deport natives or citizens of "enemy" nations without usual processes. They were accused of belonging to a gang, something many of the men's relatives and lawyers were held in the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT, which was originally built to hold accused gang group did not have access to lawyers or their relatives, and were last seen in photos issued by Bukele's government which pictured them arriving in handcuffs with their heads shaved, which sparked international were released mid-July by El Salvador in exchange for US nationals held in Venezuela, with a senior Trump administration official telling reporters that they extended their "deep,deep gratitude" to Bukele for facilitating the deal. The US has imposed heavy sanctions on Venezuela, and in May the Supreme Court ruled that the Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelan nationals could be revoked, affecting about 350,000 people.

Suzy Eddie Izzard, 63, is awarded an honorary doctorate from a university at the centre of a transgender rights controversy
Suzy Eddie Izzard, 63, is awarded an honorary doctorate from a university at the centre of a transgender rights controversy

Daily Mail​

time2 days ago

  • Daily Mail​

Suzy Eddie Izzard, 63, is awarded an honorary doctorate from a university at the centre of a transgender rights controversy

Suzy Eddie Izaard has been awarded an honorary degree on Sunday from a university at the centre of a transgender rights controversy. The stand-up comedian, 63, - who likes to go by the name Suzy but doesn't mind being called by her birth name Eddie - was honoured when she was made a doctor by the University of Sussex. The university was at the centre of a trans storm after lecturer, Professor Kathleen Stock, was targeted in a campaign of hate and abuse. Professor Stock, 53, was 'cancelled' and forced to leave the university in 2021 as she was accused of transphobia. In March this year the university was fined £585,000 for its failure to uphold free speech rights of the feminist professor. Her offences included stating in 2020 that 'the claim "transwomen are women" is fiction, not literally true'. The stand-up comedian, who likes to go by the name Suzy but doesn't mind being called by her birth name Eddie, was honoured when she was made a doctor by the University of Sussex She also said 'spaces where women undress and sleep should remain genuinely single-sex in order to protect them'. The fine was issued by the Office for Students (OfS), which criticised its policy statement on 'Trans and Non-Binary equality'. It said Sussex's requirement to 'positively represent trans people' and an assertion that 'transphobic propaganda [would] not be tolerated' could lead staff and students to 'self-censor'. It is the largest ever given to a university, though Sussex has vowed to challenge the OfS findings legally. Suzy Izzard as well as politician, Sir Ben Bradshaw, and four other Sussex alumni received honorary doctorates as part of the university's summer graduation ceremonies. The stand-up comedian, activist and actor said: 'It is an honour to be conferred this doctorate in recognition of my work as an actor, comedian, my activism and charity work over the years. 'It is even more special that this is being awarded by the University of Sussex as this is the county in which I grew up in and one which holds a special place in my heart.' Izzard, who spent a large part of her childhood in Bexhill and Eastbourne, has been a campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights. Her charity work includes raising £1.8m for Sport Relief by completing 43 marathons in 51 days in 2009 and a further £1.35m for the same charity when she ran 27 marathons in 27 days in South Africa, to honour Nelson Mandela's 27 years in prison. Izzard said: 'The University of Sussex is a key and integral part of the local community, and its students go on to have inspiring careers and change the world.' It comes after Izzard revealed she would be 'very happy to have children' and confessed she's open to falling in love again with a woman. She previously said that she has always fancied women over men and her last known relationship was with singer Sarah Townsend. Izzard spoke to Gyles Brandreth on the Rosebud podcast and said: 'I would be very happy to have children. But at the moment it's not there. Never say never.' She added: 'I am trans, but I fancy women, I've always fancied women, never fancied boys or men, it just doesn't work for me.' While discussing her love life and hopes for the future, Eddie admitted that she is not actively looking for love right now because she is 'happy' in her own company. She revealed: 'I'm not going to go into lots of relationships. It is tricky - having relationships if you're a trans person that's going to be tricky, but I'm quite happy with my own company.' 'I'm very happy in the position that I am at the moment so I'm not looking. If someone comes along and we click very well - then absolutely.' She continued: 'But I'm not actively going to discos. 'I do believe at some point the right person could be there and we could click.' She also discussed the type of partner she wants in life, by saying: 'It would need to be an intelligent person, great conversation, good sense of humour, attractive.'

Belgium questions 2 Israelis at music festival over Gaza crime allegations
Belgium questions 2 Israelis at music festival over Gaza crime allegations

The Independent

time2 days ago

  • The Independent

Belgium questions 2 Israelis at music festival over Gaza crime allegations

Belgian police questioned two members of the Israeli army who were attending a music festival in Belgium over allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, the Federal Prosecutor's Office in Brussels said in a statement Monday. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said an Israeli citizen and an Israeli soldier who were on vacation in Belgium 'were taken in yesterday for interrogation and were released shortly afterward." It said Israeli authorities "dealt with this issue and are in touch with the two.' It was not immediately clear why the Israeli Foreign Ministry referred to one civilian and one soldier, while Belgian prosecutors spoke of two Israeli army members. The whereabouts of the two people who were questioned was not immediately clear. The case was hailed as a 'turning point in the global pursuit of accountability' by a Belgium-based group called the Hind Rajab Foundation, which has campaigned for the arrest of Israeli troops it accuses of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The group was named for a young girl who Palestinians say was killed early in the war by Israeli fire as she and her family fled Gaza City. Israel says its forces follow international law and try to avoid harming civilians, and that it investigates allegations of wrongdoing. In a written statement, the prosecutor's office said that the two army members — who were in Belgium for the Tomorrowland festival — were questioned after the office received legal complaints on Friday and Saturday from the Hind Rajab Foundation and another group. The prosecution office requested the questioning after an initial assessment of the complaints 'determined that it potentially had jurisdiction.' The Hind Rajab foundation said it filed its complaints along with the rights group Global Legal Action Network. The decision to question the two Israelis was based on an article in Belgium's Code of Criminal Procedure that went into force last year and grants Belgian courts jurisdiction over acts overseas that are potentially governed by an international treaty, in this case the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the 1984 United Nations convention against torture, the prosecution statement said. 'In light of this potential jurisdiction, the Federal Prosecutor's Office requested the police to locate and interrogate the two individuals named in the complaint. Following these interrogations, they were released,' the statement said, without elaborating. It said it was not providing any further information at this stage of its investigation. The news in Belgium came as the U.N. food agency accused Israel of using tanks, snipers and other weapons to fire on a crowd of Palestinians seeking food aid, in what the territory's Health Ministry said was one of the deadliest days for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war. The death toll in war-ravaged Gaza has climbed to more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Since forming last year, the Hind Rajab Foundation has made dozens of complaints in more than 10 countries to arrest both low-level and high-ranking Israeli soldiers. 'We will continue to support the ongoing proceedings and call on Belgian authorities to pursue the investigation fully and independently,' the group said in a statement. 'Justice must not stop here — and we are committed to seeing it through.' ____ Melanie Lidman and Isaac Scharf in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store