The head of the Jihadist police in Timbuktu has been arrested on war charges
The International Criminal Court (ICC) sentenced the former head of the Islamic police in Mali’s historic city of Timbuktu to 10 years in prison for war crimes.
Prosecutors say al-Hassan ag Abdoul Aziz ag Mohamed ag Mahmoud led a “terrorist regime” in the city after it was defeated in 2012 by the al-Qaeda-linked group Ansar Dine.
He was found guilty in June this year of torture, overseeing the mutilation of public parts with a machete and the brutal beating of civilians, including children.
Hassan, 47 years old, was brought forward on charges of rape and sexual slavery, as well as destroying ancient temples in Timbuktu.
Hassan looked downcast after his sentence was read on Wednesday, at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands.
The prison sentence “commensurate with the seriousness of the offenses and the personal circumstances and culpability of Mr Al Hassan,” presiding judge Kimberly Prost said.
“It adequately reflects the strong condemnation of the international community for the crimes committed by him and acknowledges the harm and suffering caused to the victims,” he added.
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Other rights groups have expressed dismay that Hassan was charged but then acquitted of sex-related charges.
According to the AFP news agency, the court heard that some women were arrested and raped in cells under Ansar Dine’s regime.
The ICC ruled that crimes of sexual violence had occurred, but Hassan was not found guilty of them.
Hassan has 30 days to appeal the decision and compensation for victims will be dealt with later.
He was handed over to the ICC in 2018 by Malian authorities – five years after French troops helped liberate Timbuktu from jihadists.
Ansar Dine was one of the Islamist militant groups that used the Tuareg rebellion to take over towns in northern Mali.
Another Islamic terrorist leader who destroyed holy places in Timbuktu was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2016.
Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi admitted to leading militias that destroyed historic mausoleums in a world heritage site in Mali in 2012.
Timbuktu was a major center of Islamic learning between the 13th and 17th centuries and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.
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