THE HAGUE — On Wednesday, an extremist leader with ties to al-Qaida was given a 10-year prison sentence by the International Criminal Court for his involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity during his tenure as the head of Islamic police in Timbuktu, a historic city in Mali.
Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud was found guilty of multiple offenses, including torture and religious persecution, following a trial that concluded in June. The judges labeled him a “key figure” in the widespread psychological terror that ensued after Islamic extremist rebels took over Timbuktu in 2012.
Presiding Judge Kimberly Prost remarked on the “traumatic impact” that the regime had on the residents of Timbuktu.
As the sentence was pronounced, Al Hassan, clad in traditional white robes, displayed no visible emotion.
The 48-year-old, a member of Ansar Dine—an Islamic extremist faction associated with al-Qaida—served as the police chief of Timbuktu during this turbulent time. A military intervention led by France in 2013 expelled the group from power, although remnants of the faction continue to launch attacks against both Malian and international forces.
Human rights organizations expressed disappointment as Al Hassan was acquitted of several charges concerning the abuse of women. The three-judge panel acknowledged that while incidents of rape and sexual slavery occurred under his regime, there wasn’t enough evidence to directly tie him to such crimes.
However, the court did convict him on charges like torture, degrading treatment, and cruel actions, noting that prisoners faced severe abuse in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, along with brutal flogging. Both the defense and the prosecution have lodged appeals against the verdict.
Al Hassan has maintained his innocence, with his attorney Melinda Taylor arguing during the trial that his role in the Islamic police forced him to execute decisions made by an Islamic tribunal, much like police do worldwide.
The sentence, which will be reduced by the time already served, means Al Hassan has roughly 3.5 years left to serve since he has been in ICC custody since March 2018.
This trial marks the second instance at the ICC addressing the relentless violence perpetrated by Ansar Dine during their occupation of Timbuktu. Another member of the group, Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, was previously sentenced to nine years in prison in 2016 for his role in destroying significant cultural sites in the city.
For over a decade, Mali and its neighboring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger, have faced a raging insurgency fueled by armed groups, some affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State. In recent years, military coups in these nations have resulted in the expulsion of French troops, with the governments now looking to Russian mercenaries for security support.
In a related note, an Australian mining firm recently announced a payment of $160 million to Mali’s ruling junta to settle a tax dispute, coming shortly after the detention of the company’s CEO and two employees. This incident has sparked further debate over the country’s mining sector, which is increasingly under scrutiny from military authorities. Additionally, four workers from a Canadian firm were arrested in September, adding to the turmoil in this critical economic sector.