$8.4m reparations for Mali victims, but no cash payout

The International Criminal Court issued a landmark reparations order on Tuesday for victims of religious persecution perpetrated by an al-Qaeda-linked leader, reports My Joy Online. Judges mandated that $8.4m be paid to victims of Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed. Al Hassan served as the head of the Islamic police during a brutal occupation of Timbuktu in 2012. The court previously convicted him of torture and religious persecution. He oversaw a period characterised by public floggings and inhumane punishments. Presiding Judge Kimberly Prost delivered the order in The Hague. ‘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,’ Prost said. However, Al Hassan remains indigent. He relied on court-funded legal counsel throughout his trial. The court acknowledges it cannot collect the 7.2m euros from the 49-year-old perpetrator. He is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. The responsibility for payment shifts to the Trust Fund for Victims. This entity serves more than 65 000 victims recognised in the case. Executive director Deborah Ruiz Verduzco noted the fund is ‘one of the many innovations of the Rome Statute’. Reparations will focus on community-wide rehabilitation rather than individual cash transfers. The court prioritised ‘socio-economic support, educational programmes or training and psychological support.’ Special attention will be directed toward women and girls. Under Al Hassan’s police force, women faced extreme restrictions on movement and dress. Many victims suffered lasting trauma from public floggings. The trust fund has until 25 January 2027, to submit a formal implementation plan for these programmes.

Full My Joy Online report