The International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, a former commander of the Seleka rebel coalition in the Central African Republic, of crimes against humanity, including persecution and torture.
Judges in The Hague found that Said was involved in running a detention facility in the capital, Bangui, in 2013, where people suspected of supporting then-President François Bozizé were detained and subjected to torture and other mistreatment.
The court found him guilty on four counts of crimes against humanity. However, judges acquitted him of three war-crimes charges, ruling that the armed conflict had already ended when some of the alleged acts occurred. Said had denied all the charges against him.
The ICC will hold a separate hearing to determine his sentence. Said is the first former Seleka member to be convicted by the ICC in connection with the Central African Republic conflict.