General Amadou Haya Sanogo is accused of systematically torturing and executing soldiers who questioned his rise to power

The military strongman who led last year's military coup in Mali was arrested on Wednesday and charged with kidnapping, hours after he was forcibly escorted from his home in the capital by soldiers.

General Amadou Haya Sanogo led the March 2012 coup and is accused of systematically torturing and executing soldiers who questioned his rise to power.

"Sanogo has been inculpated for complicity in kidnapping. Right now that is the only charge," said the country's chief prosecutor Daniel Tessougue, who was reached by telephone on Wednesday. "He could be charged with other crimes later."

Sanogo's spokesman, Lt. Mohamed Boua Coulibaly, confirmed that the general had been taken by force from his residence earlier in the day by a unit of soldiers sent by the ministry of defence.

Despite stepping down and handing control to a civilian administration, Sanogo remained a powerful force in Mali for much of 2012, and many believe he was calling the shots.

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 31 October 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.

In May, protesters allied with Sanogo broke through the security cordon at the presidential compound, and beat interim leader Dioncounda Traore.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.

"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.