THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted rebel commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani on Wednesday of crimes against humanity for abusing and torturing prisoners at a detention facility in the Central African Republic. Said, wearing blue jeans and a sweater, remained expressionless for most of the hourlong hearing in The Hague as presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba described the inhumane conditions detainees endured at the prison in the capital, Bangui. During the trial, witnesses described cramped cells with walls marked by “bullet holes and blood” and said they were whipped “until they soiled themselves,” Samba said. Other victims testified that they were confined in a windowless room under the floorboards of Said’s office. The charges stemmed from fighting more than a decade ago between the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels who seized power from then-President François Bozizé, and a mainly Christian militia called the anti-Balaka. In Bangui, Marius Olivier Trésor Poussinga, who was tortured at the detention centre, told The Associated Press the verdict is an “international recognition” of Said’s crimes. “Today, I can sleep easier because the court has acknowledged my suffering,” Poussinga said. The country’s justice minister, Arnaud Djoubaye Abazène, welcomed the verdict. “Justice cannot be reversed in the Central African Republic,” Abazène said. “No victim will be left behind, and justice will be delivered at every level,” he added. Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, called the conviction a “significant milestone in the fight against impunity,” but warned that the country still faces serious challenges. “The verdict is also a stark reminder of the ongoing abuses in the country, and the need for increased support for both international and domestic justice efforts to end the accountability gap that helps fuel recurring cycles of violence,” he said in a statement. The verdict is likely the end of the road for justice at the ICC for victims in the Central African Republic. In 2022, then-chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced he was closing the court’s 15-year investigation into crimes in the country, citing limited resources. Khan was removed from his post in July over allegations of sexual misconduct. In other cases, two senior anti-Balaka leaders were convicted in July 2025 on multiple counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba was acquitted on appeal in 2018, while charges against a former Central African Republic government minister were dropped in 2023. A specially created court in the Central African Republic has prosecuted other defendants. The Special Criminal Court was established to try war crimes and other human rights abuses committed during the coups and violence that the country has experienced since 2003. Earlier this year, the court began proceedings against former President François Bozizé on charges of crimes against humanity. The trial is being held in absentia because Bozizé is living in exile in Guinea-Bissau. Backed by the United Nations and staffed with international judges, the court issued its first verdict in 2022. It has since indicted more than 30 people, nearly all of whom are in custody. Among them is Edmond Beina, who was also wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. His trial at the Special Criminal Court is ongoing, after it fended off an attempt by the ICC to extradite him to The Hague. Despite its successes, the Special Criminal Court faces possible closure after the Trump administration withdrew U.S. funding last year. Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa, warned that closing the court would be catastrophic for justice in the Central African Republic. “Despite the authorities’ efforts, national courts still lack the resources and capacity to assume the mandate the SCC has been carrying out,” he said. Supporters are urging the United Nations and the European Union to help extend the court’s mandate and provide funding. Said pleaded not guilty when the proceedings began in 2021. His sentence, which could be as long as life in prison, will be decided at a later date. — Associated Press writer Jean Fernand Koena in Bangui, Central African Republic, contributed to this report. Molly Quell, The Associated Press
