The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced yesterday the detention of Libyan national, Khaled Mohammed Ali al-Heishri, wanted on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Libya between 2015 and 2020.
Al-Heishri was surrendered to the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, by German authorities on Monday, following his arrest on July 16th of this year.
The ICC stated that al-Heishri is suspected of being a senior official at the notorious Mitiga prison near Tripoli, where thousands of individuals were allegedly detained for extended periods. The court further alleges that al-Heishri himself committed, ordered, or oversaw crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape, and sexual violence, in Libya between February 2015 and early 2020.
The ICC has not yet specified a date for the commencement of trial proceedings. However, it is anticipated that al-Heishri’s trial will not begin before late 2026.
Although Libya is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, the Government of National Unity has accepted the court’s jurisdiction over its territory from 2011 until the end of 2027. This acceptance follows a request from the United Nations Security Council for the court to investigate alleged war crimes committed in Libya since 2011.
The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor has announced its intention to conclude the investigation phase of the Libya file by 2026, while pledging to continue efforts to execute outstanding arrest warrants for individuals accused of war crimes and to resume trials.
