THE HAGUE — The International Criminal Court began pretrial hearings for Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, a Libyan prison commander charged with 17 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes at Tripoli's Mitiga prison between 2015 and 2020. El Hishri is the first Libyan suspect to appear before the court in The Hague.

Prosecutors told judges that El Hishri murdered and raped detainees, sometimes in front of their children. According to the charges, he served as a senior commander at Mitiga prison and was in charge of the women's section, where sexual violence was widespread. Prosecutors said he was known for always carrying his gun and shooting prisoners in the leg or knee. Detainees referred to him as the "Angel of Death."

El Hishri, 47, wore a blue suit and blue tie during the hearing and was expressionless as the charges were described. The pretrial hearing allows prosecutors to outline their case in court. Judges have 60 days after the hearing to decide whether to put El Hishri on trial.

Germany arrested El Hishri in July on a sealed International Criminal Court warrant and transferred him to the Netherlands in December. The alleged crimes took place between 2015 and 2020, following the death of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, whose government had collapsed after a 2011 uprising.

The United Nations Security Council tasked International Criminal Court prosecutors in 2011 with launching an investigation in Libya. The court issued an arrest warrant for Gadhafi, but rebels killed him before he could be detained and sent to The Hague. The court has arrest warrants for nine other Libyan suspects, including one of Gadhafi's sons.

In January, Italy arrested and then released on a technicality Ossama Anjiem, also known as Ossama al-Masri, who was accused of crimes at Mitiga prison. The Anjiem case drew attention to the court's broader Libya investigation, which has produced arrest warrants for a total of ten suspects beyond El Hishri.