The Hague, October 6 (Darfur 24)
The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber I on Monday found Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman, also known as “Ali Kushayb,” guilty of 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2004.
Kushayb, a Janjaweed militia leader, had faced 31 charges filed by the Office of the Prosecutor for atrocities committed in Bindisi, Mukjar, and Deleig between August 2003 and April 2004.
The Chamber ruled that evidence presented during the trial proved beyond reasonable doubt that Kushayb was responsible for murder, torture, outrages upon personal dignity, and persecution, both as a direct perpetrator and as an accomplice to Janjaweed and Sudanese government forces.
He was found guilty of ordering war crimes and crimes against humanity during operations in Bindisi, including attacks on civilians, forcible transfer, persecution, and destruction of property. He was also convicted as an accomplice in the murder, attempted murder, and torture of at least 200 prisoners and detainees during the Mukjar and Deleig operations.
The Chamber clarified that four charges did not result in convictions because the underlying criminal conduct was already covered by other counts on which he was found guilty. Kushayb will be sentenced at a later date for the crimes for which he was convicted.
Trial Chamber I is composed of Judge Joanna Körner (President), Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou, and Judge Althea Violet Alexis-Windsor.