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ICC Detains Former Mitiga Prison Official in The Hague over Alleged War Crimes

The ICC has taken Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri into custody in The Hague after his arrest in Germany on July 16. He is accused of serving as a senior official at Mitiga Prison and of ordering or committing murder, torture, rape and other crimes in Libya from February 2015 to early 2020. The transfer follows a UN Security Council briefing by the ICC deputy prosecutor, who warned of intimidation that could hinder justice; nine other arrest warrants in the same investigation remain outstanding.

10:03 AM, 12/02/2025Conflict
ICC Detains Former Mitiga Prison Official in The Hague over Alleged War Crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) says it has taken Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri into its custody in The Hague after German authorities, where he was arrested on July 16, surrendered him to the court on Monday.

According to the ICC, El Hishri is accused of having been one of the most senior officials at Mitiga Prison, a detention facility in Libya where thousands of people were reportedly held for extended periods. He is alleged to have personally committed, ordered or overseen crimes against humanity and war crimes — including murder, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence — between February 2015 and early 2020.

The ICC has been investigating allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Libya since March 2011, following a referral by the United Nations Security Council. The court stresses that it depends on cooperation from states to execute arrests and carry out prosecutions.

Ongoing investigation and outstanding warrants

El Hishri's transfer to ICC custody comes shortly after the court's deputy prosecutor, Nazhat Shameem Khan, briefed the UN Security Council and described renewed momentum toward accountability in Libya while warning of "unprecedented headwinds," including intimidation of court personnel. Khan emphasized that such pressure risks denying justice to victims of murder, torture and sexual violence.

The ICC still has nine other outstanding arrest warrants connected to this investigation, including for Saif al‑Islam Gaddafi, the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and Osama Elmasry Njeem, the former chief of judicial police. Media reports say Njeem was detained in Italy earlier this year and then released and returned to Libya; the ICC reminded states party to the Rome Statute of their obligation to cooperate fully with the court.

Although Libya is not a party to the Rome Statute, its government accepted the ICC's jurisdiction over crimes committed on its territory from 2011 through the end of 2027, a decision confirmed in May. The ICC — established in 2002 to prosecute the most serious international crimes — remains independent of the United Nations and relies on member-state cooperation to enforce its orders.

Key point: The arrest and transfer of El Hishri marks a significant step in a long-running investigation into alleged detention‑center abuses in Libya and underscores the court's reliance on international cooperation to pursue accountability.

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