Press release on Mahamat Said's Court Appearance

Abidjan, Bamako, Bangui, Bujumbura, Conacry, Djamena , Kinshasa, Ouagadougou, Rabat

PRESS RELEASE ON MAHAMAT SAID'S COURT APPEARANCE

 

September 24th,2022

 

The African Francophone Coalitions for the International Criminal Court (AFC-ICC) have been
following the arrest and transfer of the suspect MAHAMAT SAID, known as "MAHAMAT SAID
Abdel Kani" to The Hague, as well as the hearings for his initial appearance before the Court and
the confirmation of charges.

 

The arrest and translation of this alleged war criminal and crime against humanity is a strong signal
in the fight against impunity in the Central African Republic, Africa and the world.

The hearing that will open on 26 September 2022 is a significant step in the fight against impunity
with regard to superiors. It is in this context that the African Francophone Coalitions for the
International Criminal Court urge the International Criminal Court to pursue the second and
third parts of the investigations opened in the CAR and to continue to cooperate with other
States in order to arrest other criminals who continue to commit crimes that shock the
conscience and sow desolation among the peaceful population of the CAR.

That is why the African Francophone Coalitions for the ICC are asking the ICC:

- That the trial takes place with strict respect for the rights of all parties, namely the
presumption of innocence and the rights of the victims to be represented,
- That it be conducted expeditiously so as to avoid the slowness of the proceedings,
as was the case in the BEMBA case, and so that the parties can be quickly
determined.

For the African Francophone Coalitions for the ICC
The Coordinator
Mr. Ali OUATTARA