The international criminal court (ICC) in the Hague declared the Islamist Ahmad al-Mahdi al-faki guilty of destruction of historical monuments in Timbuktu (Mali) and sentenced him to nine years in prison.
“Mr. al-Mahdi, a crime which you have committed, very serious,” said the judge in the Hague, before you announce the verdict, which the world media called “historic.”
He was found guilty of destruction of mausoleums in the Malian city of Timbuktu, which are considered world heritage sites by UNESCO. As stated in the verdict, al-faki participated in a number of acts of vandalism in a period when the city was in the hands of the Islamists, MNLA (National movement for the liberation of Azawad).
In July 2012, Islamists of the Ansar al-DIN “linked to al-Qaeda (banned in Russia), destroyed 9 of the 16 ancient mausoleums in Timbuktu, Mali. These tombs are considered to be Muslim shrines of Sufis and included in the UNESCO world heritage list. Ahmad al-Mahdi al-faki personally ordered the destruction of the mausoleums and destroyed the ancient gates of the mosque of Sidi Yahya.
Until September 2015 Ahmad al-Mahdi al-faki was hiding in Niger, but were then arrested and handed over to authorities of the Niger to the Hague court. While many human rights organizations have accused the former leader of the Malian Islamist war crimes, torture, rape and destruction of the civilian population, but the court took the allegations concerning the destruction of world monuments of culture. During the process, which lasted several months, al-Mahdi pleaded guilty and publicly repented of his actions and asked forgiveness from his people”.
The judges took note of this fact and sentenced an Islamist to 9 years of imprisonment of the 11 requested by the Prosecutor. According to the lawyer of al-Mahdi, his client does not intend to appeal.
As the RFI notes, the process has become a precedent on many points of international law. First of all, for the first time the defendant was sentenced for the destruction of monuments a UNESCO world heritage site. If what is happening today in Syria and Iraq, where the terrorist organization “Islamic state” (a group banned in Russia) continues to destroy historical monuments of humanity, this sentence could push the the Hague on new investigations. Secondly, Ahmad al-Mahdi al-faki was the first jihadist convicted in the ICC for crimes committed in the name of religion. Third, al-Mahdi is the first and only criminal to be convicted for their actions during the military conflict in Mali.
Although UNESCO expressed hope today that the verdict will put an end to impunity in relation to the world monuments of culture”, many experts doubt that similar processes can be initiated against Palmyra. The fact is that neither Syria nor Iraq has not signed the Rome Statute recognizing the International criminal court in the Hague. Therefore, no investigation of this crime without the special sanction of the UN is impossible.
