Central African Republic: first hearing of former anti-balaka leader Maxime Mokom at the ICC
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The International Criminal Court in The Hague, March 31, 2021 © PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/REUTERS
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A former anti-balaka military official, Maxime Mokom, appeared before the judges of the International Criminal Court on Tuesday.
Arrested in Chad at the end of February, he was sent to The Hague on March 14, on the basis of a confidential arrest warrant issued in December 2018. He is suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in 2013 and 2014 in the Central African Republic.
Stéphanie Maupas attended this hearing.
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Before the ICC judges, Maxime Mokom was not very talkative.
Intended to verify his identity and inform him of his rights, his first appearance lasted only about thirty minutes.
Enough for his lawyer, Nick Kaufman, to denounce
his conditions of arrest
and detention in Chad at the end of February: "
On February 27, he was surprised on a dusty road near the border with the Central African Republic, pushed brutally into the back seat from a security vehicle and driven towards Ndjamena for 13 hours in scorching heat between two security officers.
Upon arrival, he was thrown into a filthy, mosquito-infested cell in a National Security Agency dungeon
.
Impeachment in January 2023
This is not the first time that a suspect has complained to the ICC about the methods of detention or even interrogation in the country where he was arrested.
But the Court does not consider itself responsible until the suspects
are handed over to it
.
The former anti-balaka leader said nothing about his new prison in The Hague.
He should spend some time there.
The judges have announced that impeachment hearings will take place in January 2023.
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Central African Republic
International justice
anti balaka