The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, the former head of the Islamic police in Timbuktu, Mali, to 10 years in prison for war crimes.
In June, Hassan, aged 47, was found guilty of overseeing torture, public amputations, and brutal floggings, including those inflicted on children, during his tenure under the rule of the Islamist militant group Ansar Dine.
Presiding Judge Kimberly Prost described the sentence as “proportionate to the gravity of the crimes and the individual circumstances and culpability of Mr. Al Hassan.” She added that the ruling reflects the international community’s strong condemnation and acknowledges the significant harm caused to the victims.
However, Hassan was acquitted of charges related to rape, sexual slavery, and the destruction of Timbuktu’s historic mausoleums. The court acknowledged that crimes of sexual violence occurred during Ansar Dine’s rule, with women reportedly arrested and raped in detention. Yet, Hassan was not found directly responsible for these acts.
Hassan appeared emotionless as the sentence was read out at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands. He has 30 days to appeal the judgment, and reparations for the victims will be addressed at a later date.
Hassan was handed over to the ICC by Malian authorities in 2018, five years after French troops helped liberate Timbuktu from jihadist control. His conviction follows that of Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi, an Ansar Dine leader who admitted to orchestrating the destruction of Timbuktu’s historic mausoleums in 2012 and was sentenced to nine years in 2016.
Timbuktu, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was a major hub of Islamic learning between the 13th and 17th centuries. It was added to the UNESCO list in 1988, and its cultural heritage continues to face threats from ongoing regional instability.
