The International Criminal Court has provisionally scheduled a confirmation of charges hearing for May 19, 2026, against Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, a senior official at Libya’s Mitiga Prison accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape, and sexual violence committed between February 2015 and early 2020.

El Hishri, 43, appeared before Pre-Trial Chamber I, where judges verified his identity and informed him of the allegations in Arabic. He was arrested in Germany on July 16, 2025, pursuant to an ICC warrant issued under seal on July 10, and surrendered to the Court on December 1.

According to the Prosecutor, El Hishri directly committed, ordered, or oversaw widespread abuses at Mitiga Prison, where thousands of detainees were held arbitrarily and subjected to torture, sexual violence, and killings amid Libya’s post-2011 instability. He is represented by defense counsel Yasser Mohamed Ahmed Hassan.

The confirmation hearing will determine whether sufficient evidence exists to proceed to trial. If the charges are partially or fully confirmed, the case will move to a Trial Chamber.

This marks the tenth arrest warrant in the Libya situation, which was referred to the ICC by UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011). Libya formally accepted ICC jurisdiction from 2011 to 2027 on May 12, 2025. Pending warrants include those against Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and other figures linked to the country’s conflict.