MALI: War crimes suspect appears at ICC

A militant suspected of war crimes in Mali appeared before the International Criminal Court on Wednesday but did not address the allegations against him, instead complaining about the conditions of his detention. The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud for crimes allegedly committed while serving as […]

A militant suspected of war crimes in Mali appeared before the International Criminal Court on Wednesday but did not address the allegations against him, instead complaining about the conditions of his detention.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud for crimes allegedly committed while serving as de facto chief of religious police after his group seized control of the Malian city of Timbuktu in 2012.

When asked during his first appearance at the ICC if he had any observations to make to the court, Al Hassan, who is not yet required to enter a plea, complained about his detention.

“I was detained in a single room with a camera,” he told the judge after confirming his identity. Al Hassan’s duty counsel told the court his client believed the circumstances of his detention were “harming his dignity and his privacy”.