…Said Found Guilty of Persecution, Torture at Bangui Prison; War Crimes Charges Dismissed
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted former Seleka rebel commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of crimes against humanity committed during the conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR).
CDA News Nigeria reports that ICC judges found Said guilty on four counts of crimes against humanity, including persecution and torture, linked to his role in operating a detention facility in Bangui, the CAR capital, during the country’s armed conflict.
Presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba delivered the judgment on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, describing the harsh conditions detainees endured at the prison. Said, 56, remained expressionless for most of the hour-long hearing as the judge detailed the crimes.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that witnesses testified about cramped cells with walls marked by “bullet holes and blood,” and said detainees were whipped “until they soiled themselves.” Some victims were confined in a windowless underground cell beneath the floorboards of Said’s office, where they had to urinate and defecate inside the dark, dirty space.
The case relates to atrocities committed in 2013, when Seleka forces controlled parts of Bangui. Said ran the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry (OCRB) detention centre, where suspected supporters of then-President François Bozizé were targeted.
The ICC dismissed several war crimes charges, finding that the armed conflict had already ended at the time the alleged crimes were committed. Said pleaded not guilty to all charges when the proceedings began in 2021.
The judgment is the second trial arising from the ICC’s Central African Republic II situation. Said is the first Seleka member to be convicted, while the ICC has previously convicted two anti-Balaka leaders.
The sentence to be imposed on Said will be determined separately by the court.
Source verification: Original reporting based on ICC Trial Chamber VI judgment delivered by Presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba on September 23, 2026, and international news agency reports.
Editorial Policy: CDA News Nigeria is committed to accurate and balanced reporting on international justice matters.
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