Trial Judgment in Said case on 23 September 2026 – Practical information
On 23 September 2026 at 11:00 (The Hague local time), Trial Chamber VI of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "the Court”) will deliver its judgment on conviction or acquittal in the case of The Prosecutor v. Mahamat Said Abdel Kani. The judgment will be read out in public in ICC Courtroom I and the hearing will be transmitted live through the ICC website.
Pursuant to article 74 of the Rome Statute, 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 VI is composed of Judge Miatta Maria Samba (Presiding Judge), Judge María del Socorro Flores Liera, Judge Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godínez and Judge Keebong Paek (Alternate Judge). The judges ensure the fairness of the trial and that the rights of both parties and of the victims are respected.
Background: Mr Said is accused of crimes against humanity (imprisonment or other severe deprivation of liberty; torture; persecution and other inhumane acts) and war crimes (torture; cruel treatment and outrages upon personal dignity) allegedly committed at the Office Central de Répression du Banditisme (‘OCRB’) in Bangui (Central African Republic) in 2013. The trial in the case opened before Trial Chamber VI on 26 September 2022. Over the course of 130 trial hearings, the Chamber heard 58 witnesses called by the Prosecution and 3 witnesses called by the Defence. 32 victims have been granted the right to participate in the proceedings.
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 Sango (Courtroom 1), in English and Sango 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: ICCVisits@icc-cpi.int before 22 September 2026. 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: PublicAffairs.Unit@icc-cpi.int before 22 September 2026. 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).
The number of visitors in the public gallery is limited. 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 PublicAffairs.unit@icc-cpi.int.
For further information, please contact the ICC Public Affairs Unit: PublicAffairs.Unit@icc-cpi.int . You can also follow the Court’s activities on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr.