by Nurat Uthman
The International Criminal Court on Monday set a new date in the war crimes trial of a Malian jihadist, saying judges are now to hand down a verdict in June.
The ruling in the case of Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud was postponed in January as the head judge was unavailable due to health reasons.
The court (ICC) “will deliver its judgment on conviction or acquittal… on 26 June 2024 at 12pm (1000 GMT),” the Hague-based ICC said.
“While the Prosecution must prove the guilt of the accused, the Trial Chamber will convict the accused only if it is satisfied that the charges have been proven beyond reasonable doubt,” it added in a statement.
The trial of the 46-year-old father of five opened in 2020, with Al Hassan accused of torture, rape and sexual slavery through forced marriages, as well as destroying Muslims in the remote Malian city of Timbuktu.
Prosecutors said Al Hassan committed “unimaginable crimes” as a key figure in the police system set up by Islamic militants for almost a year from 2012.
He is accused of personally overseeing floggings and amputations while arranging for women and girls to be forced to marry militants.
The ancient city of Timbuktu, once known as the “city of 333 saints” for the Muslim holy men buried there, was subject to major destruction while under the control of jihadists in 2012 and 2013.
Al Hassan is the second Malian jihadist tried by the ICC for destroying religious sanctuaries in Timbuktu, which is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
The court sentenced Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi in 2016 to nine years in prison, which was reduced by two years on appeal in 2021.
