Media Advisory: 9 July 2020

Opening of the trial in the Al Hassan case: Practical information

ICC-CPI-20200709-MA254
Mr Al Hassan during the opening of the confirmation of charges hearing at the seat of the Court in The Hague (The Netherlands) on 8 July 2019 ©ICC-CPI

On 14 July 2020, the trial in the case of The Prosecutor v. Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud will open before Trial Chamber X of the International Criminal Court (ICC), for crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Timbuktu (Mali). Trial Chamber X is composed of Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua, Presiding Judge, Judge Tomoko Akane and Judge Kimberly Prost.

During these hearings, the Prosecution will deliver its opening statement. The Legal Representatives of Victims and the Defence intend to deliver their opening statements at a later stage before the beginning of their respective presentations of evidence which will follow the Prosecution's presentation of evidence that will commence on 25 August 2020.

Due to the current situation linked to Covid-19, hearings participants will take part either from the seat of the Court or from separate locations outside the Court.

Background: Mr Al Hassan was transferred to the ICC on 31 March 2018 following a warrant of arrest issued by the Chamber on 27 March 2018 for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The confirmation of charges hearing took place from 8 to 17 July 2019. On 30 September 2019, Pre-Trial Chamber I issued a confidential decision confirming the charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity brought by the Prosecutor against Mr Al Hassan and committed him to trial. The redacted version of the decision was published on 13 November 2019. On 18 November 2019, Pre-Trial Chamber I rejected the Defense's request for leave to appeal the decision confirming the charges in the Al Hassan case. On 23 April 2020, Pre-Trial Chamber I issued a confidential decision partially granting the Prosecutor's request to modify the charges against Mr Al Hassan; the redacted version of this decision was made public on 11 May 2020.

Related information:

Webstreaming of the hearing:

The hearing can be followed live on the ICC website, in English, French and Arabic at: http://player.cdn.tv1.eu/statics/66005/icc.html (Courtroom 1)

Attending the hearing:

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to the Court's premises is restricted to protect the safety and well-being of users. A limited number of public and media representatives will be granted access to the hearing at the seat of the Court, following measures against coronavirus including wearing a mask and keeping a distance of 1.5 metres.

  • Members of the diplomatic corps, NGOs and other members of the public can request attendance via email to: [email protected]. 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]. 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).

Individuals who do not confirm their attendance in advance cannot be guaranteed access to the hearings. In order to avoid delays in accessing the building, those attending are advised to arrive in advance before the hearings start.

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 further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail at: [email protected]

You can also follow the Court's activities on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr