The International Criminal Court (ICC) said Monday that its Trial Chamber I has set October 6 as the date to deliver a verdict in the case of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, known as “Kushayb,” at its seat in The Hague.
The verdict will be announced publicly and broadcast live on the court’s official website, with further details to be released regarding attendance and online access.
Kushayb’s trial began before Chamber I on April 5, 2022. The judges heard testimony from prosecution and defense witnesses and reviewed evidence, before closing arguments were held in December 2024.
Kushayb surrendered voluntarily to authorities in the Central African Republic and was transferred to the ICC on June 9, 2020, nearly 13 years after an arrest warrant was issued against him.
He faces 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, allegedly committed in Darfur between August 2003 and April 2004. Over the course of the three-year proceedings, the court heard from 56 prosecution witnesses and 17 defense witnesses, along with legal submissions from victims’ representatives.
According to Article 74 of the Rome Statute, judges will base their decision solely on the evidence and legal arguments presented during the trial. A conviction can only be issued if the charges are proven beyond reasonable doubt, with the presumption of innocence maintained until guilt is established.
If a verdict is handed down, the parties will have the right to appeal before the ICC Appeals Chamber, in line with court procedures.
The court statement reiterated that Article 74 stipulates defendants must either be acquitted or convicted by the judges, who “shall not convict unless convinced of guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” basing their ruling only on applicable law, submitted evidence, and arguments made in court.
The ICC continues to seek the appearance of Sudan’s ousted president Omar al-Bashir and two of his former senior officials, Abdel Rahim Muhammad Hussein and Ahmed Haroun, who stand accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the government’s suppression of the Darfur rebellion.
