Prominent jurist Luz Ibanez shares how her life has been impacted by US sanctions, and why she is not deterred from carrying out her work in The Hague

Today, 3 December 2025, Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri appeared before Pre-Trial Chamber I (“the Chamber”) of the International Criminal Court (ICC or "the Court"). Mr El Hishri is alleged to have been one of the most senior Mitiga Prison officials, where thousands of persons were detained for prolonged periods. He is suspected of having committed directly himself, ordered or overseen crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence, allegedly committed in Libya from February 2015 to early 2020.The Chamber verified the identity of the suspect and ensured that he was clearly informed of the crimes he is alleged to have committed and of his rights under the Rome Statute of the ICC in a language he fully understands and speaks.The hearing was held in the presence of the Office of the Prosecutor and the Defence. Mr El Hishri was represented during the hearing by Mr Yasser Mohamed Ahmed Hassan.The Chamber provisionally scheduled the confirmation of charges hearing to begin on 19 May 2026. The purpose of the confirmation of charges procedure is to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed the crimes he or she is suspected of. If the charges are confirmed, totally or partly, the case will be transferred to a Trial Chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of the proceedings: the trial. Image Judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I during the initial appearance of Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri on 3 December 2025 ©ICC-CPI Background: Mr El Hishri, a national of Libya, was arrested on 16 July 2025 by the authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany pursuant to a warrant of arrest issued under seal by ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I on 10 July 2025. He was surrendered to the custody of the Court on 1 December 2025. The situation in Libya was referred to the ICC Prosecutor by the United Nations Security Council in its resolution 1970 dated 26 February 2011. On 3 March 2011, the Prosecutor announced the decision to open an investigation in the situation in Libya. On 12 May 2025, Libya accepted of the Court’s jurisdiction over its territory from 2011 to the end of 2027. Nine other public ICC arrest warrants are still pending in the context of this situation against Mr Saif Suleiman Sneidel, Mr Osama Elmasry Njeem, Mr Abdurahem Khalefa Abdurahem Elshgagi, Mr Makhlouf Makhlouf Arhoumah Doumah, Mr Nasser Muhammad Muftah Daou, Mr Mohamed Mohamed Al Salheen Salmi, Mr Abdelbari Ayyad Ramadan Al Shaqaqi, Mr Fathi Faraj Mohamed Salim Al Zinkal and Mr Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi. Further information on this case is available here.Photographs of the hearingAudio-visual materials:YouTube (for viewing): Floor; English; French; ArabicVideo (MPEG-4) for download: Floor; English; French; ArabicAudio (MPEG-3) for download: Floor; English; French; ArabicQuestions and Answers on the case: English, Français, العربيةFor more information, please contact the ICC Public Affairs Unit: [email protected]. You can also follow the Court’s activities on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr

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