ICC finds Malian jihadist guilty of Timbuktu attacks
Alleged Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist leader Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi pleaded guilty to a single charge of cultural destruction at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. By Patrick Post (ANP/AFP/File)
The Hague (AFP) - The International Criminal Court on Tuesday found a Malian jihadist guilty of destroying Timbuktu's fabled shrines, in a landmark judgement experts hope will send a strong message to safeguard the world's ancient monuments.
"The chamber unanimously finds that Mr al-Mahdi is guilty of the crime of attacking protected sites as a war crime," judge Raul Pangalangan said at the tribunal in The Hague.