Former Seleka leader Mahamat Said Abdel Kani was convicted by the International Criminal Court on four counts of crimes against humanity, including torture and persecution. Judges said he oversaw beatings and torture of prisoners seen as supporters of Bozizé in Bangui.
Prosecutors accused Said of running a prison where suspected supporters of then-President François Bozizé were beaten and tortured; he denied all charges. Judges dismissed several war-crimes charges, finding the armed conflict had ended by the time of the alleged crimes.
Said is the first Seleka member convicted by the ICC, which has investigated violence in the Central African Republic since 2014. A separate hearing will determine his sentence. Nelly Azoukateme, who believes the militia abducted her son and brother, called the verdict “a small victory” and said the dismissed charges would likely mean a lighter sentence.
