In August, the country held its first election since the coup, electing a new leader whose administration has not shied away from confronting the powerful and much-feared Sanogo.
On Oct. 31, a judge issued a summons calling for Sanogo to present himself before the court to answer questions regarding his alleged role in the abuses. Sanogo repeatedly failed to show up. The judge who had issued the summons reportedly received death threats, and was given a security detail for his protection.
Most Malians had never heard of Sanogo last spring, when a mutiny broke out at a military garrison, located just miles from the presidential palace.
The rioting rank-and-file soldiers asked Sanogo, then an army captain, to be their leader, and together they marched on the palace, ending two decades of democracy in a matter of hours. The country's elected leader fled, and Sanogo appointed himself president.
Although forced to step down just weeks later, he still held the reins of power, and the country's transitional leaders were afraid to cross him.
In May, protesters allied with Sanogo broke through the security cordon at the presidential compound, and beat interim leader Dioncounda Traore. He was brought to the hospital unconscious, and demonstrators were seen hoisting his bloody tie and shoe in celebration.
Although Sanogo denied involvement in the attack, it was seen by many as Sanogo's reminder to the country's civilian administration of who was really in charge.
Soldiers that didn't bow to him were picked up, tortured and killed, according to Human Rights Watch. Victims were tied up, beaten with sticks and gun butts, kicked in the head, ribs and genitals, stabbed in their extremities, and burned with lighters, according to the rights group.
Witnesses who were among the last people to see the disappeared men alive including a group of 20 soldiers picked up on May 2, 2012 said they saw them being loaded onto trucks, their eyes covered. The mother of one of the missing men told Human Rights Watch that her son made one last phone call to her, saying the soldiers holding him were arguing about whether or not to kill him.
Among the perks Sanogo was able to secure for himself before fading from the limelight was the salary of an ex-head of state, estimated at more than $8,000 per month, as well as the rank of general.
"The Malian judge and judiciary have shown that no one, not even a four-star general, is above the law. This is a very encouraging step for the victims of the alleged crimes committed by those loyal to Sanogo and for Mali's struggle to address the culture of impunity," said Corinne Dufka, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, who has led 10 missions to Mali to investigate allegations of abuse since the start of the country's crisis.
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Callimachi contributed from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press staffer Jerome Delay in Bamako also contributed to this report.
