In a milestone moment for victims of Libya's long-running violence, the International Criminal Court has opened a three-day hearing for Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, who stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. El Hishri is the first individual from Libya to be brought before the ICC since the United Nations Security Council sent the Libyan situation to the court's prosecutor in 2011, marking a significant step in efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for atrocities committed during the country's…

Rwandan opposition figure Victoire Ingabire is back in court for a second trial, this time accused of inciting public unrest and joining a criminal organization. She appears alongside nine co-defendants, most of whom are fellow members of her party, Development and Liberty for All (DALFA-Umurinzi). Ingabire was freed in September 2018 by a presidential pardon from President Paul Kagame after serving 8 years of a 15-year sentence.

Friday May 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s National Independent Human Rights Commission has raised alarm over the prolonged detention of Sadio Moallim Ali, saying she has spent more than a month in Mogadishu Central Prison without being tried. In a May 13 statement, the commission said it had visited the facility on April 29 to examine Ali’s detention conditions and review her legal and humanitarian circumstances. The commission said its delegation met with Correctional Service officials, prison administrators, Ali and…

A dramatic turn in one of America’s most closely watched murder cases has upended the conviction of a once-powerful lawyer who was serving life in prison for the killings of his wife and son. Alex Murdaugh, 57, heir to a prominent family of judges and attorneys, did not receive a fair trial because a court clerk improperly influenced jurors, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled. Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 of fatally shooting his son, Paul, 22, with a shotgun and his wife, Maggie, 52, with an assault rifle on the…

In a significant development, the Federal High Court in Abuja has permitted a prosecution witness to testify under protective conditions during the trial of a retired army general and five co-defendants accused of orchestrating a failed coup against President Bola Tinubu. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the ruling following requests from the prosecution, which highlighted the necessity of such measures for security reasons as the proceedings unfold. The federal government has brought forth 13 charges, including treason,…

A courtroom fight with sweeping implications for the future of artificial intelligence gets underway today, as billionaires Elon Musk and Sam Altman face off over OpenAI’s transformation from a nonprofit venture into a profit-driven powerhouse valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Opening statements in Mr Musk's civil case against OpenAI and Mr Altman are set for federal court in Oakland, California, after nine jurors were selected yesterday. Mr Musk alleges that Mr Altman and Greg Brockman, OpenAI's chief executive…

A 21-year-old man has appeared in court in Austria accused of helping plot an attack on a Taylor Swift concert, a threat that forced the cancellation of the pop star’s scheduled 2024 performances in the country. Authorities pulled the plug on three summer 2024 dates on Ms Swift’s record-setting "Eras" tour after warning that an alleged attack was in the works. Beran A., brought into court by masked police officers, has remained in custody since his arrest in August 2024 and is charged with terror-related crimes along with…

Rodrigo Duterte is set to stand trial at the International Criminal Court after judges cleared the way for proceedings over crimes against humanity tied to his so-called "war on drugs." In a statement, the ICC said pre-trial judges had "unanimously confirmed all the charges... against Rodrigo Roa Duterte and committed him to trial." The case marks a first for the court: Mr Duterte will become the first former Asian head of state to go on trial before the ICC, which is tasked with prosecuting individuals accused of the…

In a sweeping test of El Salvador’s hardline anti-gang campaign, a Salvadoran court has opened a collective trial for 486 alleged gang members, marking one of the largest mass proceedings yet under President Nayib Bukele’s controversial use of emergency powers. According to prosecutors, the case against the alleged Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, members covers more than 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including a weekend of bloodshed that became El Salvador’s deadliest since the end of its civil war. Those…

El Salvador has opened one of the largest mass prosecutions of President Nayib Bukele’s anti-gang campaign, putting 486 alleged gang members on collective trial as his government continues to wield contentious emergency powers in its fight against violence. According to prosecutors, the case against the alleged Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, members covers more than 47,000 crimes carried out between 2012 and 2022, including a weekend that became the country’s deadliest since the end of its civil war. Those allegations include…