Libya's First War Crimes Suspect Faces Justice

A man from Libya, Khaled Mohamed Ali Al Hishri, is in trouble. He's accused of terrible things happening in a prison. People were hurt, tortured, and even sexually abused. Now, he's asking to be let out of jail while he waits for his trial. This is a big deal. It's the first time someone from Libya is in the International Criminal Court's custody. The court has been looking into bad things that happened during Libya's civil war in 2011. They have nine more people they want to arrest. Al Hishri is 47 years old. He's charged with crimes against humanity. This includes murder, torture, and rape. Prosecutors say thousands of people, including kids and women, were held in Mitiga prison. They were there for a long time and treated badly. The judges said Al Hishri needs to write a formal request if he wants to be released. His trial won't start until late 2026. There's a hearing coming up in May next year to confirm the charges. This isn't the only case. In January, Italy arrested another Libyan suspect, Osama Elmasry Njeem. But they sent him back to Libya. They said the arrest warrant had mistakes. Njeem is also accused of hurting people in Mitiga prison. His release made some people in Italy very angry.