The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, convicted former Central African Republic rebel commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of four counts of crimes against humanity, including torture and unlawful imprisonment.
The court found that Said, 56, supervised the beating, torture and mistreatment of detainees while heading a unit at the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry detention centre in Bangui during the country’s civil conflict in 2013.
Judges said detainees were held in dark, overcrowded and unsanitary cells, while some were tied up, whipped or doused with water. Victims told the court that the abuse had caused lasting psychological trauma and disrupted their lives and families.
Said, a senior commander of the Seleka rebel group that ousted then-President François Bozizé, denied all charges. He was acquitted of three war-crime charges. The ICC said his sentence would be announced at a later date.