Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman declared guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, Sudan

Today, 6 October 2025, Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "the Court") found Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman guilty of 27 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes, in Darfur, Sudan, between August 2003 and April 2004.

ICC Trial Chamber I analysed the evidence submitted and discussed before it at trial and found that Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, a Janjaweed leader, was guilty beyond any reasonable doubt, of the following:

• as a direct perpetrator for murder and torture as crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as outrages upon personal dignity as a war crime and persecution as a crime against humanity.
• as a co-perpetrator, for the joint commission with Janjaweed and/or Government of Sudan Forces, in relation to at least 200 captives and/or detainees during the Mukjar and Deleig Operations, of murder, attempt murder and torture as war crimes and crimes against humanity, outrages upon personal dignity as a war crime, and persecution as a crime against humanity.
• for ordering the Janjaweed to commit, during the Kodoom and Bindisi Operation, murder and rape as war crimes and crimes against humanity, attack against a civilian population, outrages upon personal dignity, pillaging and destroying the enemy's property as war crimes; and forcible transfer of population, persecution and other inhuman acts as crimes against humanity.

The Prosecutor had brought four other counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes against Mr Abd-Al-Rahman but the Chamber did not enter a conviction on these counts considering that the criminal conducts underlying these counts were already covered by other counts for which a conviction was pronounced.

Next steps:
Following this verdict, the Chamber will impose on Mr Abd-Al-Rahman the sentence for the crimes of which he has been convicted. A decision in this regard, including as concerns the timeline of the proceedings leading to the imposition of the sentence, has also been issued today. Furthermore, a phase dedicated to the reparations to victims will be opened.

Background:
Trial Chamber I is composed of Judge Joanna Korner (Presiding), Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou, and Judge Althea Violet Alexis-Windsor. The trial in the case opened before Trial Chamber I on 5 April 2022 and the closing statements took place on 11-13 December 2024. A total of 74 witnesses gave evidence during the trial: 2 were called by the Chamber, 54by the Prosecution, 17 by the Defence and 1 by the participating victims through their legal representatives.
A total of 1861 items of evidence were recognised as formally submitted into evidence. The Chamber authorised 1591 victims to participate in the trial proceedings through one team of legal representatives.

For further information on this case, check here.

Trial Judgment
Summary of the verdict read in Court
Questions and Answers on the verdict: English; Français; Arabic
Photographs of the hearing
Audio-visual materials: Verdict in the Abd-Al-Rahman case, full hearing, 6 October 2025

• YouTube (for viewing): English; Français; Arabic
• Video (MPEG-4) for download: English; Français; Arabic
• Audio (MPEG-3) for download: English; Français; Arabic

For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail at: [email protected]

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