The International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, an extremist leader linked to al-Qaida, of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Mali. Al Hassan was found guilty of torturing and abusing prisoners while serving as the de facto chief of the Islamic police in Timbuktu between 2012 and 2013.

Al Hassan remained stoic as the verdict, which included charges of rape, torture, persecution, enforced marriages, and sexual slavery, was read. The ICC’s judges continued to list the many other charges he faced for his involvement in the insurgents’ reign of terror over Timbuktu. Al Hassan could face a life sentence when his punishment is decided.

Prosecutors highlighted Al Hassan’s significant role in Ansar Dine, an Islamic extremist group affiliated with al-Qaida that controlled northern Mali during the period. Women and girls were particularly targeted under Ansar Dine’s oppressive regime, suffering corporal punishment and imprisonment. This was underscored by former ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda at the start of Al Hassan’s trial nearly four years ago.

A French-led military operation in 2013 eventually ousted Al Hassan and his associates from power. Mali, alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, has been embroiled in an insurgency involving armed groups, including factions linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, for over a decade.

In recent years, military coups in all three countries led to the expulsion of French forces, with the ruling juntas seeking security assistance from Russian mercenary units instead. In Mali, Col. Assimi Goita, who took power after a second coup in 2021, pledged to restore democracy by early 2024. However, the junta indefinitely postponed elections scheduled for February 2024, citing the need for further technical preparations.

The reading of the verdict in Al Hassan’s case was delayed by approximately six months due to the illness of one of the judges.