Jihadist police chief of Timbuktu jailed for war crimes in Mali

Prosecutors say he led a "reign of terror" after the city was overrun by an al-Qaeda-linked group in 2012.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersJihadist police chief of Timbuktu jailed for war crimesAFPThe International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced the former head of the Islamic police in Mali's historic city of Timbuktu to 10 years in prison for war crimes.

Prosecutors said al-Hassan ag Abdoul Aziz ag Mohamed ag Mahmoud led a "reign of terror" in the city after it was overrun in 2012 by the al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine group.

He was found guilty in June this year of torture, overseeing public amputations by machete and the brutal floggings of residents, including children.

He was acquitted on charges of rape and sexual slavery, as well as destroying Timbuktu's ancient mausoleums.

Hassan was handed over to the ICC in 2018 by the Malian authorities - five years after French troops helped liberate Timbuktu from the jihadists.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6kp9756l2o

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