Accused Islamist Extremist Mali War Crimes Trial Set to Star
Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 2:04 am
Malian Islamist militant Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud sits in the courtroom of the International Criminal Court during his trial at the Hague, the Netherlands, July 8, 2019.
An alleged Islamist arrested in Mali is set to go on trial Tuesday at the International Criminal Court for orchestrating war crimes and crimes against humanity in the city of Timbuktu.
Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud was arrested in 2018 in Mali, where he was said to be a key member of Ansar Dine ("Defenders of the Faith"), a militant group that ruled northern Mali for nearly a year in 2012.
Prosecutors allege Al Hassan orchestrated a range of crimes, including torture, rape, sexual slavery and other inhumane acts. The chief prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda said, Al Hassan was also accused of being involved in the destruction of ancient artifacts that paid homage to supposed idols.