The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on Friday for Iyad Ag Ghaly, leader of the Islamic group Ansar Dine, which took control of Timbuktu in northern Mali in 2012. The court stated that Ghaly, also known as Abu al-Fadl, is accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity between January 2012 and January 2013. The arrest warrant was issued in 2017 but remained sealed until today.
Ansar Dine attempted to impose Islamic law after taking control of Timbuktu. In previous cases involving other members of Ansar Dine, prosecutors claimed that the group's militants raped women in Timbuktu and subjected them to sexual slavery. Fighters linked to al-Qaeda also used axes, shovels, and hammers to destroy centuries-old tombs and shrines that reflect Sufi thought in Timbuktu. The court sentenced a radical Islamist to nine years in prison in 2016 after he admitted to participating in the destruction of religious sites in Timbuktu. Another ruling is expected next Wednesday regarding another suspect from Mali.
