Libyan prison chief known as ‘Angel of Death’ appears before ICC accused of war crimes

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - The International Criminal Court heard on Tuesday how the former senior commander of a Libyan prison murdered and raped inmates, sometimes in front of their children, earning the nickname "Angel of Death."

The court in The Hague is holding pretrial hearings in the case against Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, who is accused of 17 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes at the infamous Mitiga prison, in Tripoli, between 2015 and 2020, a period following the death of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Detainees at the facility referred to El Hishri as the "Angel of Death," deputy prosecutor Nazhat Khan told judges in her opening statement, quoting from one of the nearly 1,000 victims in the case.

The 47-year-old, wearing a blue suit and blue tie, showed no expression as the charges against him were described.

According to the charges, El Hishri - who is the ICC's first-ever suspect from the North African country - was as a senior commander at the prison and was in charge of the women's section, where sexual violence was widespread. Prosecutors said El Hishri was known for always carrying a gun and shooting prisoners in the leg or knee.

"These were not the acts of rogue Mitiga prison guards," Khan said.

El Hishri was sent to the Netherlands in December by Germany, where he was arrested in July on a sealed ICC warrant.

Libya is not a member of the court but the judicial body was tasked by the U.N. Security Council in 2011 with launching an investigation in the country nation as it descended into lawlessness following an uprising that toppled Gadhafi.

The court had issued a warrant for Gadhafi, but rebels killed him before he could be detained and sent to The Hague.

Lead defense counsel Yasser Hassan argued the court had no jurisdiction to charge El Hishri and should focus on the victims of the NATO strikes. "There is a clear gap in accountability," Hassan said.

After the Gadhafi regime launched a crack down on anti-government protesters, NATO, with U.N.-backing, conducted a campaign of airstrikes against Libya between March-October 2011. Estimates for how many civilians were killed during the NATO campaign range from under 100 to just over 400.

The ICC has issued arrest warrants for nine other Libyan suspects, including one of Gadhafi's sons.

Italy arrested one of the suspects, Ossama Anjiem - also known as Ossama al-Masri - in January, sparking outrage among human rights defenders. He was also accused of crimes at the Mitiga prison. Anjiem was later freed on a technicality.

El Hishri's hearing is not a trial, but allows prosecutors to outline their case in court. After weighing the evidence, judges have 60 days to decide whether it is strong enough to merit putting him on trial.