The Hague, Netherlands – June 26th – The International Criminal Court (ICC) found Malian Islamist Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity today. The verdict stems from his role as a key figure within the Islamic police of Timbuktu during a rebel takeover in 2012.
Judges ruled that Al Hassan played a significant part in the Ansar Dine group, which seized control of the historic city on the Sahara’s edge. The group attempted to enforce a strict interpretation of Islamic law during their rule.
Survivors from Timbuktu testified that Al Hassan wielded significant authority within the Islamic police, issuing orders that officers readily followed.
Presiding Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua delivered the verdict, stating, “By a majority decision, Al Hassan has been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. These include torture, cruel treatment, and acts intended to humiliate, specifically the public flogging of 13 Timbuktu residents.”
Al Hassan has consistently denied all charges but has admitted to being a member of Ansar Dine. His defense argued that he aimed to maintain order in the chaos following the rebel takeover.
The 47-year-old defendant remained stoic throughout the proceedings, even as the court convicted him of additional charges, including religious persecution, mutilation as a war crime, and participation in sham trials.
Prosecutors had accused Al Hassan of overseeing gender-based crimes, alleging the Islamic police terrorized Timbuktu’s women with rape, forced marriages, and sexual slavery. While the court acknowledged the occurrence of these crimes, they could not directly link them to Al Hassan.
The prosecution has 30 days to appeal the verdict. Al Hassan’s sentencing will be determined at a later date following further hearings. The ICC can impose a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Al Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine fighters are also known for destroying Timbuktu’s ancient shrines and tombs using pickaxes and other tools. The city, nicknamed “The City of 333 Saints,” is known for its rich Sufi Islamic traditions. However, the court found Al Hassan uninvolved in the destruction, acquitting him of those specific charges.
This conviction adds to the ICC’s ongoing investigation into Mali, which began in 2012. French and Malian forces eventually drove the rebel groups back the following year. Last week, the ICC unsealed an arrest warrant for Ansar Dine’s alleged leader, Iyad Ag Ghaly. In 2016, another Islamist rebel received a nine-year sentence for admitting to his role in the destruction of Timbuktu’s religious monuments.
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