Situation in Libya: Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri in ICC custody

Today, 1 December 2025, Mr Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri was surrendered to the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC or “the Court”). 

Mr El Hishri, a national of Libya, 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. The suspect, arrested upon the ICC request, had remained in the custody of the German authorities until the completion of the national proceedings as foreseen in article 59 of the Rome Statute, which is the Court’s founding treaty.

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. He is suspected of having committed directly himself, ordered or overseen crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence, allegedly committed in Libya from February 2015 to early 2020.

A hearing will be scheduled in due course for Mr El Hishri’s initial appearance before the Court. During this hearing, the Chamber will confirm the identity of the suspect and the language in which Mr El Hishri is able to follow the proceedings. The Chamber will also satisfy itself that Mr El Hishri has been informed of the crimes which he is alleged to have committed, and of his rights under the Rome Statute. 

The ICC Registrar, Mr Osvaldo Zavala Giler, thanked the national authorities for their strong and consistent cooperation with the Court, including leading to this recent arrest. 

Background: The situation in Libya was referred to the ICC Prosecutor by the United Nations Security Council in its resolution 1970 dated 26 February 2011. On 3 March 2011, the Prosecutor announced the decision to open an investigation in the situation in Libya. On 12 May 2025, Libya accepted of the Court’s jurisdiction over its territory from 2011 to the end of 2027. Nine other public ICC arrest warrants are still pending in the context of this situation against Mr Saif Suleiman Sneidel, Mr Osama Elmasry Njeem, Mr Abdurahem Khalefa Abdurahem Elshgagi, Mr Makhlouf Makhlouf Arhoumah Doumah, Mr Nasser Muhammad Muftah Daou, Mr Mohamed Mohamed Al Salheen Salmi, Mr Abdelbari Ayyad Ramadan Al Shaqaqi, Mr Fathi Faraj Mohamed Salim Al Zinkal and Mr Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi. 

Further information on this situation is available here.

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