ICC Opens Hearings on Libyan Prison Suspect Accused of 17 War Crimes

The International Criminal Court began three days of confirmation hearings Tuesday against Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, 47, on 17 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes. ICC deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan described El Hishri as a "notorious torturer" at Mitiga prison near Tripoli.

She said witnesses called him "the Angel of Death" and reported that he shot detainees in the legs and knees, hung prisoners with their hands bound behind their backs, and beat them with shovels. Khan stated that El Hishri was in charge of the women's prison and placed detainees in cells where they were likely to contract disease.

She added that he personally raped, murdered, and tortured prisoners as an example to other guards.

Khan described overcrowding and untreated illness at the facility. According to the ICC, a significant number of people died from torture, untreated injuries, starvation, or exposure during El Hishri's time at the prison. One alleged victim told investigators, "I have never seen such horrible things. " Khan said many former detainees continue to suffer mental and physical anguish.

The hearings are not a trial but confirmation of charges proceedings. Judges have 60 days to decide whether to confirm the charges, alter them, or dismiss the case. El Hishri is the first suspect to appear at the ICC in its UN-mandated investigation into Libya, which began in 2011. The court is also seeking another individual, Osama Almasri Najim, on related charges connected to the same prison.