Islamist, harsh justice on the rise in Northern Mali

Islamists' Harsh Justice on Rise in Northern Mali 3 more images By ADAM NOSSITER Published: December 28, 2012 BAMAKO, Mali - Moctar Touréwas strapped to a chair, blindfolded, his right hand bound tight to the armrest with a rubber tube. A doctor came and administered a shot. Then Mr. Touré's own brother wielded a knife, the kind used to slaughter sheep, and methodically carried out the sentence. "I myself cut off my brother'shand," said Aliou Touré, a police chief in the Islamist-held north of this divided nation. "We had no choice but to practice the justice of God.Such amputations are designed to shock - residents are often summoned to watch - and even as the world makes plans to recapture northern Mali by force, the Islamists who control it show no qualms about carrying them out.