THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Libyan man accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes in a Tripoli prison has been sent by Germany to the International Criminal Court to face justice.
ICC prosecutors allege Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri was a senior commander at the Mitiga prison, where they say he ordered or oversaw atrocities including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence between 2015 and 2020.
He was arrested by German authorities on July 16 on a sealed warrant issued by The Hague-based court and had been in custody in Germany before being surrendered Monday, the court said after he arrived at its detention center.
The ICC's prosecution office in July called El Hishri's arrest “an important development” in efforts to seek accountability for crimes in detention facilities in Libya. It said it was ready for his trial, which would be the first of a Libyan suspect at the court.
A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, where judges will confirm his identity and ensure he has been informed of the allegations against him and his rights. The court will then organize another hearing during which prosecutors summarize their evidence and a panel of judges decides if it is strong enough to merit putting El Hishri on trial. That process will likely take months.
The United Nations Security Council called on the ICC to open an investigation in Libya in 2011 against a backdrop of an uprising that ultimately toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi and morphed into a crippling civil war. The court issued a warrant for the Libyan strongman, but he was killed by rebels before he could be detained.
The court has arrest warrants out for nine other Libyan suspects, including one of Gadhafi’s sons. Earlier this year, authorities in Libya accepted the court’s jurisdiction over the country from 2011 through to the end of 2027.
Italy arrested but then released on a technicality 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.
FILE - A general view of the exterior of the International Criminal Court is seen in The Hague, Netherlands, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An earthquake in Indonesian waters set off small tsunami waves Thursday morning, killed at least one person and damaged houses and buildings, officials said.
The magnitude -7.4 earthquake was centered in the Molucca Sea at a depth of 35 kilometers (22 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Tsunami waves were recorded at several monitoring stations less than half an hour later, including in Bitung with a height of 20 centimeters (8 inches) and in West Halmahera with a height of 30 centimeters (a foot), according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said waves of 5 centimeters (2 inches) were recorded in Davao in the southern Philippines, but there was no threat for more distant areas about three hours after the quake.
Strong shaking lasting 10 to 20 seconds was felt in Bitung, a coastal city in North Sulawesi province, and surrounding areas, as well as in Ternate city in neighboring North Maluku province, according to Indonesia's Disaster Management Agency.
Initial assessments showed light to moderate damage in parts of Ternate, where local disaster officials reported that one church in the Batang Dua Island district was affected and two houses were damaged in South Ternate. In Bitung, damage assessments were still underway, the agency said.
Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency reported a 70-year-old woman died in North Sulawesi's Minahasa district and another resident was injured.
“At this stage, caution is still required, particularly for communities living along the coast,” Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement. He urged residents not to return to beaches or coastal areas until authorities issue an official all-clear.
At least two aftershocks were recorded following the main quake, both offshore. Officials said neither aftershock had tsunami potential, though they were felt in affected areas.
“We had just woken up and suddenly the earthquake hit... we all ran out of the house,” Bitung resident Marten Mandagi said. “The shaking was very strong,”
Mandagi said he had not seen any damage in his area. “We’re still checking whether there is damage or not. But here we are safe, there are no casualties or destruction,” he said.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 280 million people, sits on major seismic faults and is frequently hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Police officers inspect a damaged building following an earthquake in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Tonny Rarung)
Onlookers gather as police officers inspect a damaged building following an earthquake in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Tonny Rarung)
