Developments in Ali Kushayb’s international criminal trial hearings

The ICC postponed Ali Kushayb’s trial hearings at the ICC in the Dutch city of The Hague to next (November 28) after hearing the fifth witness called by the defence on Tuesday.

Kushayb faces 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, western Sudan, at least between August 2003 and April 2004.

The court began hearing defence witnesses last October 26, hearing four witnesses alongside a forensic examination expert to testify about the differences between the examined signatures and Ali Kushayb’s allegedly written signatures.

Fifty prosecution witnesses have been heard by the Court since last year before the Prosecutor’s case concluded in February 2023.

The Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court commenced the Kushayb trial in April last year.

Kushayb surrendered in the Central African Republic before transferring Kushayb to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in June 2020, and made a preliminary appearance before the ICC on June 15, 2020.

Kushayb is being tried on charges of war crimes, murder and crimes against humanity, through attacks against the civilian population, looting and others.

The Sudan Criminal Court demands that other Sudanese be extradited to appear on similar charges.