Faith Nyasuguta
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday convicted Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, a 47-year-old extremist linked to al-Qaida, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Mali during 2012-2013. Al Hassan, a prominent figure in the extremist group Ansar Dine, was found guilty of torturing prisoners.
The three-judge panel in The Hague, while acquitting him of charges related to the abuse of women, acknowledged that rape and sexual slavery took place under his group’s control in Timbuktu. Presiding Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua highlighted Al Hassan’s significant role in overseeing punishments such as amputations and floggings during Ansar Dine’s nearly year-long rule of Timbuktu starting in early 2012.
Judge Mindua stated that the residents of Timbuktu were forced to conform their lives to the strict version of Sharia law imposed by Ansar Dine. Evidence presented in court described the harsh treatment of prisoners, including being confined in cramped, unsanitary cells and subjected to repeated floggings.
Brutal public punishments, including floggings and an amputation conducted with a machete in the central square of Timbuktu, were witnessed by crowds, including children.
Al Hassan was convicted of contributing to crimes committed by other jihadist group members, including mutilation and persecution. However, he was acquitted of charges related to rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and attacking protected objects. Victims represented by Yehia Hamma Cissè expressed hope for justice and compensation following the court’s reparation order, similar to the order issued after the 2016 conviction of another Ansar Dine member, Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi.
The ICC’s verdict against Al Hassan comes amid heightened scrutiny of jihadist leaders in Mali. Recently, an arrest warrant was unsealed for Iyad Ag Ghaly, alias Abou Fadl, leader of the al-Qaida-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).
Ag Ghaly faces charges of murder, rape, sexual slavery, and attacks on religious monuments in Timbuktu during the same period, highlighting ongoing efforts to hold perpetrators accountable during a time of regional instability marked by armed insurgencies and military coups.
Al Hassan, who may face life in prison, is now awaiting sentencing.
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