Trial Judgment in Yekatom & Ngaïssona case on 24 July 2025 – Practical information

On 24 July 2025 at 14:00 (The Hague local time), Trial Chamber V of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will deliver its judgment pursuant to article 74 of the Rome Statute in the case The Prosecutor v. Alfred Yekatom and Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona. The judgment will be read out in public in ICC Courtroom I and the hearing will be transmitted live through the ICC website.

The accused persons before the ICC are presumed innocent. While the Prosecution must prove the guilt of the accused persons, the Trial Chamber will convict the accused only if it is satisfied that one or more charges against this accused person have been proven beyond reasonable doubt. The Chamber bases its decision only on the applicable law and on evidence submitted and discussed before it at the trial. In response to the verdict, the parties will be able to appeal the decision before the ICC's Appeals Chamber.

Trial Chamber V is composed of Judge Bertram Schmitt (Presiding judge), Judge Péter Kovács, Judge Chang-ho Chung and Judge Beti Hohler (Alternate Judge). The judges ensure the fairness of the trial and that the rights of both parties and of the victims are respected.

Background: Mr Yekatom and Mr Ngaïssona are accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Central African Republic (CAR) between December 2013 and December 2014. The trial in this case opened on 16 February 2021. The Prosecution called 112 witnesses to testify. The Legal Representatives of Victims called three witnesses to testify. The Defence teams for both accused called a total of 55 witnesses. The Chamber called one witness. On 27 and 28 August 2024, the presentation of evidence of the Defence ended with an unsworn statement of Mr. Ngaïssona. Prior to the holding of closing statements from 9 to 12 December 2024, the parties and participants filed their closing briefs. On 13 and 16 December 2024, the parties and participants filed their submissions on potential sentencing.

For further information on this case, check here

Webstreaming of the hearing:
The hearing can be followed LIVE on the ICC website in English, French and Sango (Courtroom 1), in French and Sango on the ICC YouTube Channel, and in English and Sango on the ICC Facebook accounts.

Attending the hearing:
• Members of the diplomatic corps, NGOs and other members of the public can request attendance via email to: [email protected] before 22 July 2025. Attendees must present a valid passport or valid ID with a photo at the main entrance of the Court (at: Oude Waalsdorperweg 10, 2597 AK The Hague).

• Journalists wishing to cover the hearing can request accreditation via email to: [email protected] before 22 July 2025. All journalists must present a valid press card, and a valid passport or valid ID with a photo, at the main entrance of the Court (at: Oude Waalsdorperweg 10, 2597 AK The Hague).

The number of visitors in the public gallery is limited. Individuals who have not received a confirmation in advance of the hearing will not be granted access to the building. Those attending are advised to arrive 20 minutes in advance before the hearing starts.

Audio-visual materials:
Images of the hearing will be available for download in video (MPEG-4) and audio (MPEG-3) format, and for viewing on the official ICC YouTube Channel.

Photographs of the hearing will be available on the ICC Flickr account. For information on audio-visual matters, please contact [email protected]

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]

You can also follow the Court's activities on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr