Former Timbuktu Islamic Police Head Sentenced for War Crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has handed down a 10-year prison sentence to the former leader of the Islamic police force in Timbuktu, Mali’s historic city, following his conviction for war crimes. Prosecutors stated that al-Hassan ag Abdoul Aziz ag Mohamed ag Mahmoud presided over a “reign of terror” within the city after its capture in 2012 by the Ansar Dine group, which is linked to al-Qaeda. He was convicted in June of this year on charges including torture, supervising public amputations carried out with machetes, and the severe flogging of inhabitants, among them children. Hassan, 47 years old, received acquittals on accusations of rape and sexual slavery, in addition to the destruction of Timbuktu’s ancient mausoleums. Hassan appeared devoid of emotion after the pronouncement of his sentence on Wednesday at the ICC, located in The Hague, Netherlands. Presiding judge Kimberly Prost declared that the prison term “is proportionate to the gravity of the crimes and the individual circumstances and culpability of Mr Al Hassan.” She further stated, “It adequately reflects the strong condemnation by the international community for the crimes committed by him and acknowledges the significant harm and suffering caused to the victims.” Certain human rights organizations had voiced disappointment regarding Hassan’s initial charging with, and subsequent acquittal of, gender-based crimes. The AFP news agency reported that testimony presented to the court indicated that some women were apprehended and subsequently raped while in detention during Ansar Dine’s control. The ICC determined that acts of sexual violence had occurred, but Hassan was not deemed responsible for these specific crimes. Hassan possesses a 30-day period to appeal the judgment, and victim reparations will be handled at a later time. Malian authorities transferred him to the ICC in 2018, which was five years after French forces assisted in freeing Timbuktu from jihadist control. Ansar Dine constituted one of several Islamist militant factions that capitalized on an ethnic Tuareg rebellion to seize control of cities in Mali’s northern region. In 2016, another Islamist militant leader, responsible for destroying ancient shrines in Timbuktu, received a nine-year prison sentence. Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi confessed to directing combatants who demolished historic mausoleums at the world heritage site in Mali during 2012. Timbuktu served as a significant hub for Islamic scholarship from the 13th to the 17th Centuries and was included on the Unesco world heritage list in 1988.