Trial Judgment in Al Hassan case on 18 January 2024 – Practical information

On Thursday, 18 January 2024 at 14:00 (The Hague local time), Trial Chamber X of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will deliver its judgment on conviction or acquittal pursuant to article 74 of the Rome Statute in the case The Prosecutor v. Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud. The judgment will be read out in public and the hearing will be transmitted live through the ICC website. 

The judges will either acquit or convict the accused. The accused before the ICC is presumed innocent. While the Prosecution must prove the guilt of the accused, the Trial Chamber will convict the accused only if it is satisfied that the charges have been proven beyond reasonable doubt. The Chamber bases its decision only on the applicable law and on evidence submitted and discussed before it at the trial. In response to the verdict, the parties will be able to appeal the decision before the ICC's Appeals Chamber.

Trial Chamber X is composed of Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua (Presiding Judge), Judge Tomoko Akane and Judge Kimberly Prost. The three judges ensure the fairness of the trial and that the rights of both parties and of the victims are respected. 

Background: Mr Al Hassan is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Timbuktu (Mali). The trial in this case opened on 14-15 July 2020. 52 oral witnesses were called by the Prosecution at this stage and 22 Defence witnesses appeared in court. The Legal Representatives of Victims, representing 2196 victims in this case, also called two witnesses to testify. On 8 February 2023, Trial Chamber X declared the closure of the submission of evidence in this case and parties and participants were requested to file their final briefs. The closing statements of the Prosecution, the Legal Representatives of Victims and the Defence took place from 23 to 25 May 2023.  
 
For further information on this case, check here

Webstreaming of the hearing:
The hearing can be followed LIVE on the ICC website in English, French and Arabic, in French on the ICC YouTube Channel, and in English and French on the ICC Facebook accounts. 

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).

Individuals who have not received a confirmation in advance of the hearing will not be granted access to the building. Those attending are advised to arrive 20 minutes in advance before the hearing starts.

Audio-visual materials:
Images of the hearing will be available for download 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/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr