El Hishri case: Confirmation of Charges hearing to open on 19 May 2026 – Practical Information

The confirmation hearing in the case The Prosecutor v. Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri is scheduled to open on 19 May 2026 at 10:00 (The Hague local time) before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Pre-Trial Chamber I is composed of Presiding Judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc and Judges Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera. Mr El Hishri is suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed principally at Mitiga Prison in Libya between 1 May 2014 and 30 June 2020.

The hearing is scheduled on 19, 20 and 21 May 2026 in Courtroom I. The Prosecution, the Defence and the Legal Representatives of Victims will make oral submissions before the judges to present their arguments on the merits.

The purpose of the confirmation of charges hearing is to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed each of the crimes charged. If one or more of the charges are confirmed, the case will be transferred to a Trial Chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of the proceedings: the trial.

Background: Mr El Hishri is alleged to have been one of the most senior Mitiga Prison officials, where thousands of persons were detained for prolonged periods. According to the Prosecution’s Document containing the charges, Mr El Hishri is suspected of 17 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between 1 May 2014 and 30 June 2020. These crimes encompassed: imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty, outrages upon personal dignity, cruel treatment, torture, and other inhumane acts committed against detainees principally at Mitiga Prison; and rape and other forms of sexual violence, murder, attempted murder, enslavement, and persecution of certain persons principally at Mitiga Prison. Mr El Hishri was arrested on 16 July 2025 by the authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany pursuant to a warrant of arrest issued under seal by ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I on 10 July 2025. He was surrendered to the custody of the Court on 1 December 2025. The initial appearance of Mr El Hishri took place on 3 December 2025.

Related documents:

• Order setting the schedule and directions for the confirmation of charges hearing
• Document containing the charges 
   
• Questions and answers on the Confirmation of charges hearing
• Case page: English; French

Webstreaming of the hearing: The hearing can be followed with a 30-minute delay on the ICC website (Courtroom I), as well as on the ICC Facebook accounts and on the ICC YouTube Channel.

Attending the hearing:

• Members of the diplomatic corps can request attendance via email to: [email protected] and members of civil society via email to: [email protected] before 15 May 2026. Attendees must present a valid passport or valid ID with a photo at the main entrance of the Court (at: Oude Waalsdorperweg 10, 2597 AK The Hague).
• Journalists wishing to cover the hearing can request accreditation via email to: [email protected] before 15 May 2026. All journalists must present a valid press card, and a valid passport or valid ID with a photo, at the main entrance of the Court (at: Oude Waalsdorperweg 10, 2597 AK The Hague).
• For other members of the public, the principle 'first come, first served' will be applied. The number of visitors in the public gallery is limited. Those attending are advised to arrive at least 30 minutes in advance before the hearing starts.

Note that filming or photography is strictly prohibited inside the Court building, except in the media area. In preparation of your visit please consult our Rules of decorum and practical information page.

AV Materials:

Images of the hearing will be available for download on an FTP server in video (MPEG-4) and audio (MPEG-3) format, and for viewing on the official ICC YouTube Channel.

Photographs of the hearing will be available on the ICC Flickr account.

For information on audio-visual matters, please contact [email protected]

For more information, please contact the ICC Public Affairs Unit: [email protected]. You can also follow the Court’s activities on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr