ICC prosecutors say Malian rebel was 'enthusiastic' war crimes perpetrator

FILE PHOTO: Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mahmoud, a Malian rebel accused of being central to the persecution of residents of Timbuktu and the destruction of the city's holy grounds, attends his war crimes trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/Pool

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday said a Malian Islamist rebel was a key figure in "blatant persecution" of the residents of Timbuktu and was an enthusiastic participant in war crimes.

Prosecutors say Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz was a central figure in the Ansar Dine Islamist group which controlled every aspect of daily life in Timbuktu after their 2012 takeover.