Judges at the International Criminal Court have ordered €7.25 million in reparations for more than 65,000 victims of abuses committed in Timbuktu in 2012, during the period when Islamist groups controlled the city.
The ruling concerns Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz, a key figure in the morality police set up by the Ansar Dine, who was convicted in 2024 of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The reparations will primarily take the form of collective programs, including education, vocational training, and psychological support, with particular focus on women and girls who were disproportionately affected.
The court noted that Al Hassan is unable to pay the compensation himself and has therefore called on the Trust Fund for Victims to finance and implement the measures.
Victims suffered severe restrictions and punishments under the imposed interpretation of Sharia law, including public floggings that caused lasting trauma.
Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Al Hassan is expected to be released soon, having already spent several years in detention. The Trust Fund has been given until January to present an implementation plan, as the ICC continues its investigations into crimes committed in Mali since 2012.
