ICC Convicts Central African Rebel Commander

The International Criminal Court on September 23, 2026, convicted Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, 56, of four counts of crimes against humanity, including torture and unlawful imprisonment, over abuses at the OCRB detention centre in Bangui in 2013. He was acquitted of three war-crimes counts. Sentencing will come later. Judge Miatta Maria Samba described "arbatachar" torture—hands, elbows and feet tied tightly behind the back—plus beatings with ropes and whips and dousing in water. Of an underground cell she said: "Detainees had to urinate and defecate inside the underground cell. The underground cell was dark, cramped, dirty, and insufficiently ventilated," and "The floor was covered in waste and it smelled of faeces and urine." Said shook his head in court. A victim, she said, had been "completely unbalanced and that his life had been completely destroyed by the mistreatment he suffered." Said was a top Seleka commander in the group that ousted Francois Bozize. CONTESTED: no factual disputes found in record. Only left-rated coverage appeared for this story. The court has not yet set a sentence.