ICC Sets May 2025 to Confirm Charges Against Libyan Militia Commander

The International Criminal Court (ICC) will decide next May whether to put a Libyan militia commander on trial for alleged war crimes. The court announced the timeline during the suspect’s first appearance. Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala set a confirmation of charges hearing for May 13, 2025. Prosecutors must submit their evidence by February 14. The defense team will then have until April 14 to respond. The suspect, Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli, also known as El Hishri, faces allegations of murder as a war crime. The charges relate to his role as a commander in the Al-Saiqa Brigade in Benghazi between 2016 and 2017. During the hearing, El Hishri’s lawyers requested his interim release from ICC detention. The judges will rule on this request at a later date. The confirmation of charges hearing is a critical step to determine if there is enough evidence for a full trial.