In 2012, the city of Timbuktu fell under the control of Ansar Eddine, a jihadist group linked to al-Qaeda. During their rule, the group enforced strict sharia law and carried out various human rights abuses, including forced marriages and floggings. Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz, who led the Islamic police force in the city, was recently convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 13 counts of crimes against humanity, including torture and cruel treatment.
The prosecution of Al Hassan marked a significant milestone in war crime trials, as the ICC utilized a unique digital platform created by SITU Research to present evidence. This immersive replica of Timbuktu allowed judges to see visual evidence of where the crimes occurred, revolutionizing the way evidence is presented in such cases.
The ICC, established in 2002, recognized the need to incorporate new technologies into evidence presentation due to the heavy reliance on witness testimony in previous cases. With the rise of digital evidence from sources like social media, the court began allowing such materials to be submitted. The platform developed by SITU Research offers a new way to organize and present visual evidence, enhancing the impact of the prosecution’s case.
The platform not only serves as a tool for judges to review evidence but can also aid in interviewing witnesses about their experiences. Particularly in cases involving crimes against humanity, where systematic and widespread abuses must be proven, the platform provides a comprehensive view of the events that unfolded in Timbuktu.
However, concerns have been raised about the resources available to defense teams compared to the prosecution. While the platform was designed to support the prosecution’s case, efforts have been made to provide training and access to the defense as well. The defense teams must navigate through the vast amount of evidence submitted to the court and determine how to utilize innovative tools like the digital platform in their favor.
ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan emphasized the readiness of the court to adopt forward-thinking approaches to evidence presentation, as demonstrated by the acceptance of the SITU platform in the trial. Despite challenges faced by defense teams in utilizing such technology, the court’s acknowledgment of new tools signifies a step towards modernizing war crime prosecutions in the digital age.
