ICC gives 10-year sentence to former police chief for war crimes in Mali
The International Criminal Court sentenced an al-Qaida-linked extremist leader to 10 years in prison on Wednesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity carried out when he headed the Islamic police in the historic desert city of Timbuktu in the west African country of Mali.
Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud was convicted of torture, religious persecution and other inhumane acts in June. Judges found he was a “key figure” in a reign of terror after Islamic extremist rebels overran Timbuktu in 2012.
Dressed head to toe in white traditional robes, Al Hassan was expressionless as he listened to the sentence being read out.
The 48-year-old was a member of Ansar Dine, an Islamic extremist group linked to al-Qaida that held power in northern Mali at the time, and served as the ancient city’s police chief. A French-led military operation in 2013 forced the group from power, but rebel elements have continued to stage attacks on Malian and international forces.
To the disappointment of many human rights groups, Al Hassan was acquitted of several charges focusing on the abuse of women. The three-judge panel found that rape and sexual slavery did occur while his group controlled Timbuktu, but that Al Hassan couldn’t be connected to those crimes.
