In a significant ruling, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted the former head of the Islamic police in Timbuktu, Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Hassan was found guilty by the majority decision of torture, cruel treatment, and outrages upon personal dignity, specifically for his involvement in the public flogging of 13 individuals in Timbuktu.

However, the ICC acquitted Hassan on charges related to rape, sexual slavery, and imposing forced marriages on women. Additionally, the judges determined that Hassan played no part in the destruction of ancient mausoleums in the historic city of Timbuktu.

Hassan, who remained emotionless during the verdict reading in The Hague, was handed over to the ICC in 2018, five years after French troops helped liberate Timbuktu from the jihadists. As the former police chief, Hassan oversaw severe punishments such as public amputations and floggings of residents, including children.

The prosecution's case included testimony from Dédéou Maiga, who was accused of petty theft and subsequently arrested by Hassan. Maiga recounted being tied to a chair in public and having his hand amputated. Tragically, Maiga passed away in 2017.

The judge highlighted that the inhabitants of Timbuktu had no choice but to conform their lives to the interpretation of Islamic Sharia law enforced upon them forcefully. The judgment, although welcoming by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), was also disappointing as Hassan was acquitted of gender-based crimes.

FIDH Secretary General Drissa Traoré acknowledged that the verdict marked an important milestone for the victims seeking justice for the international crimes committed in Mali in 2012. However, one survivor expressed dismay over the outcome, stating that the verdict failed to address the rapes and sexual slavery endured by women in Timbuktu.

It is worth noting that another Islamist militant leader, who was responsible for the destruction of ancient shrines in Timbuktu, received a nine-year prison sentence in 2016. Timbuktu, renowned for its significance as a center of Islamic learning from the 13th to 17th centuries, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.

The conviction of Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud serves as a significant step towards bringing justice for the victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the troubled period in Timbuktu's history.