Confirmation of charges hearing in Yekatom and Ngaïssona case to open on 19 September 2019: Practical Information

On 19 September 2019 at 09:30 (The Hague local time), the confirmation of charges hearing in the case The Prosecutor v. Alfred Yekatom and Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona will open before Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC), composed of Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua (Presiding Judge), Judge Tomoko Akane and Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala. The hearing is scheduled until 27 September 2019.

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

Alfred Yekatom and Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona are alleged to be responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Central African Republic, between 2013 and 2014.

Order Setting the Schedule for the Confirmation of Charges Hearing

Webpage on the case: English, Français

Case information sheet:  English, Français

Webstreaming of the hearing: 
The hearing can be followed, with a 30-minute delay, on the ICC website.

Attending the hearing:

• 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).

Please note that 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 one hour before the hearings start.

ICC Media Centre: 
For media representatives wishing to use the Court's media facilities, the Media Centre will open at 08:30. The ICC Media Centre is located in the building's 'Court Tower'. It is composed of hot desk areas, which can sit up to 104 people, and two interview rooms. The Media Centre distributes the video and embedded audio of the hearing, via HD-SDI with a female BNC connection. Journalists wishing to connect to this should bring compatible equipment and a BNC cable. Power is provided (European plug). Wi-Fi connection is available in the Media Centre.

AV materials: 
Filming or photography is strictly prohibited inside the Court building, apart from the interview rooms and the Media Centre area.

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

Parking facilities:
Media representatives can use the ICC's Visitor Parking.

SNG vehicles:  
The ICC Parking includes an area for SNG vehicles. BNC connections are available and the video format is HD-SDI with embedded Audio (8 dual mono pairs): Channel 1 – Floor language (international audio); Channel 2 - English interpretation; Channel 3 - French interpretation; Channel 4 - 8 - Other languages, or if no interpretation then Floor language will be sent.

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