According to an Associated Press report updated September 23, 2026, judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague convicted former Seleka rebel commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of crimes against humanity for abuses and torture of prisoners at a detention facility in Bangui, Central African Republic, in 2013.

Presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba described cramped cells with "bullet holes and blood" and said witnesses testified detainees were whipped "until they soiled themselves." Other victims testified they were confined in a windowless room under the floorboards of Said's office. The charges stem from fighting between the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels, who seized power from President François Bozizé, and the mainly Christian anti-Balaka militia.

Said pleaded not guilty when proceedings began in 2021; sentencing is set for a later date. A torture victim told AP the verdict was an "international recognition" of the crimes. CAR Justice Minister Arnaud Djoubaye Abazène welcomed the verdict, and Human Rights Watch called it a "significant milestone in the fight against impunity." AP notes the ICC closed its 15-year investigation into CAR crimes in 2022, citing limited resources.