War Crime Prosecutions Enter a New Digital Age [Video]

In 2012, the al-Qaeda–linked jihadist group Ansar Eddine swept through Timbuktu, taking control of the Malian city. As part of the group’s imposition of sharia law over the residents, it created an Islamic police force, led by Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz. Ansar Eddine controlled the city until 2013, when a military campaign led by France drove the group out.

During his tenure with the police force, Al Hassan helped carry out a campaign of “forced marriages” and floggings of those accused of violating the strict religious rules imposed by Ansar Eddine. He faced 13 counts of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court at the Hague. Earlier today, the ICC convicted Al Hassan of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including torture and cruel treatment, for which he could face life in prison.

As part of the case, prosecutors employed a unique strategy of presenting evidence—a bespoke immersive replica of the city that includes visual evidence of where …