Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday convicted former Seleka militia leader Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of crimes against humanity, including torture, over violence in the Central African Republic.
Said was found guilty on four counts, including persecution and torture, after prosecutors accused him of overseeing a prison in the capital, Bangui, where suspected supporters of then-President Francois Bozize were beaten and tortured.
Presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba said Said and other Seleka members oversaw the abuse of prisoners as part of a plan targeting perceived supporters of Bozize.
Said, who denied all charges, showed no reaction as the verdict was read. A separate hearing will determine his sentence.
READ ALSO:Â ICC Sentences Darfur Janjaweed Militia Leader
The judges dismissed several war crimes charges, ruling that the armed conflict had ended when the alleged crimes were committed.
The predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels, whose name means “alliance” in the Sango language, seized power in 2013 during the Central African Republic’s long-running civil war, ousting Bozize.
Their takeover triggered the emergence of opposing anti-Balaka militias, which were largely Christian-dominated.
The ICC has investigated violence in the Central African Republic since 2014 and has convicted two anti-Balaka leaders. Said is the first Seleka member to be convicted by the court.
