THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An international court has mandated that a militant extremist pay 7.2 million euros ($8.4 million) in compensation to those harmed during his leadership of religious police forces in Mali’s historic city of Timbuktu.
The International Criminal Court’s ruling Tuesday targets Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, who received a 10-year prison sentence in 2024 following his conviction on charges including torture, religious persecution and cruel treatment. Court officials determined he played a central role in brutal control after Islamic militants seized Timbuktu in 2012.
“Mr. Al Hassan, as the person found responsible for the crimes, which caused the harm to the victims, is the person financially liable for the cost of repairing the harm,” Presiding Judge Kimberly Prost said, addressing the courtroom in the Dutch city of The Hague.
However, the tribunal cannot recover funds from the 49-year-old defendant, who was deemed financially unable to pay and required court-appointed legal representation throughout his proceedings.
The Trust Fund for Victims, established by court member nations to distribute compensation, will instead provide reparations to more than 65,000 affected individuals.
“We are one of the many innovations of the Rome Statute,” the fund’s executive director, Deborah Ruiz Verduzco, told The Associated Press.
According to the court’s founding document, the Rome Statute, the fund “responds to the harm resulting from the crimes under the jurisdiction.”
Ruiz Verduzco oversees 24 staff members responsible for supporting victims and families, creating programs in violence-affected communities and securing financial backing for their mission.
Throughout its twenty-year history, the trust fund has collected money directly from convicted individuals in just one instance.
“Substantial fundraising will need to take place,” Prost said.
Member nations provide most funding, though the organization also welcomes private contributions. Germany donated 40,000 euros ($46,000) in March, while Sweden and the Netherlands serve as primary supporters.
Court officials determine compensation distribution methods while seeking input from affected parties through their legal representatives and the trust fund.
For Al Hassan’s case, compensation will fund “socio-economic support, educational programs or trainings and psychological support,” the ruling states. Initiatives should prioritize women and girls, who experienced particularly severe treatment under extremist control.
Malian communities have previously received assistance. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi admitted guilt and faced conviction in 2016 for demolishing historic burial sites in Timbuktu. The trust fund launched building restoration efforts in 2021.
Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger have confronted more than ten years of insurgent violence from armed organizations, including groups affiliated with al-Qaida and Islamic State. After recent military takeovers in all three countries, new governments have removed French troops and sought security assistance from Russian mercenary forces.
Tuesday’s announcement follows recent large-scale coordinated attacks in Mali by an alliance of al-Qaida-affiliated militants and separatist groups, marking the biggest such offensive in more than a decade.
