22.06.2020 First appearance of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman before the International Criminal Court (ICC)

Ali Muhammad Ali Abt-Al-Rahman appeared for the first time before Pre-Trial Chamber II's Single Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala of the ICC on 15 June 2020. The suspect was represented by his defense counsel Cyril Laucci and attended the hearing via video-link from the ICC detention centre. The Prosecution and the Defence were also present.

After the identity verification by judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala, the suspect was informed about his rights under the Rome Statute of the ICC and about the crimes he allegedly committed. The opening of the confirmation of charges hearing has been provisionally scheduled for 7 December 2020.

Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman has allegedly held one of the highest-ranking positions in the tribal hierarchy in the Wadi Salih locality and was a member of the Popular Defence Forces (PDF). The suspect commanded several Janjaweed militias from on or August 2003 to on or about March 2004. After voluntarily surrendering himself in in the Central African Republic, he was transferred to the custody of the ICC on 9 June 2020. The two arrest warrants issued against Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman on 27 April 2007 and 11 June 2020 cover a total of 53 counts on the basis of his individual criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Darfur (Sudan).

The case in question was separated from the case of Mr. Ahmad Muhammad Harun on 15 June, as the latter has not yet been transferred to the ICC. Both the suspect’s right to a fair and expeditious trial and the interest of judicial economy motivated the separation of the two cases.