Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi
Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi | |
---|---|
Born | 1975 (age 48–49) Agoune, Mali |
Nationality | Malian |
Occupation | Civil servant |
Employer | Malian government |
Known for | First person convicted by the ICC for such a crime |
Movement | Ansar Dine |
Criminal status | Released |
Criminal charge | Attacking religious and historical buildings |
Penalty | Nine years in prison (commuted to 7 years in 2021) |
Wanted since | 18 September 2015 |
Details | |
Span of crimes | 30 June 2012 – 10 July 2012 |
Country | Mali |
Location(s) | Timbuktu |
Target(s) | 10 religious buildings |
Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi (also known as Abu Tourab) was a member of Ansar Dine, a Tuareg Islamist militia in North Africa. Al-Mahdi admitted guilt in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2016 for the war crime of attacking religious and historical buildings in the Malian city of Timbuktu. Al-Mahdi was the first person convicted by the ICC for such a crime, and in general the first individual to ever be prosecuted solely on the basis of cultural crimes.[1] He was sentenced to nine years in prison. On 25 November 2021, his sentence was commuted to 7 years in prison, and he was released on 18 September 2022.[2]
Biography
Al-Mahdi was born approximately in 1975
ICC prosecution
The ICC opened a formal investigation on
- Mausoleum of Sidi Mahmoud Ben Omar Mohamed Aquit
- Mausoleum of Sheikh Mohamed Mahmoud al-Arawani
- Mausoleum of Sheikh Sidi el-Mokhtar Ben Sidi Muhammad Ben Sheikh Alkabir
- Mausoleum of Alfa Moya
- Mausoleum of Sidi Mahmoud Ben Amar
- Mausoleum of Sheikh Muhammad El Micky
- Mausoleum of Cheick Abdoul Kassim Attouaty
- Mausoleum of Ahamed Fulane
- Mausoleum of Bahaber Babadié
- Sidi Yahya Mosque
On 26 September 2015, al-Mahdi was surrendered to the court by the government of Niger and transferred to the court's detention center in The Hague, Netherlands.[6]
Al-Mahdi's trial began on 22 August 2016 and he pleaded guilty to the charges of destroying nine mausoleums and a mosque.[9][4] As the first person to plead guilty to a charge of the ICC, al-Mahdi made a statement expressing remorse and advising others not to commit similar acts.[10]
On 27 September 2016, al-Mahdi was sentenced to nine years in prison for the destruction of the cultural world heritage in the Malian city of Timbuktu.[4]
In a subsequent Reparations Order of 17 August 2017, the ICC ordered individual, collective and symbolic reparations for the community of Timbuktu. The liability of al-Mahdi was determined to be 2.7 million euros.[11]
On 25 November 2021, his sentence was reduced on appeal to seven years imprisonment, and he was released on 18 September 2022.[12]
References
- ^ "Emerging Voices: A Case of Firsts for the International Criminal Court: Destruction of Cultural Heritage as a War Crime, Islamic Extremism and a Guilty Plea". Opinio Juris. 2016-08-09. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
- ^ "Al-Mahdi Case (The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi)". International Criminal Court.
- ^ "Nine Years for the Cultural Destruction of Timbuktu". The Atlantic. 27 September 2016.
- ^ a b c Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi: The vandal of Timbuktu, BBC News (September 27, 2016).
- ^ "AHMAD AL-FAQI AL-MAHDI". Trial International. 27 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Situation in Mali: Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi surrendered to the ICC on charges of war crimes regarding the destruction of historical and religious monuments in Timbuktu". International Criminal Court. 2015-09-26. Archived from the original on 2015-09-27. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
- ^ "ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on the Malian State referral of the situation in Mali since January 2012". www.icc-cpi.int. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
- ^ "ICC Prosecutor opens investigation into war crimes in Mali: "The legal requirements have been met. We will investigate"". International Criminal Court. 2013-01-16. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
- ^ "Case Information Sheet: Situation in the Republic of Mali, The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi" Archived 2016-08-03 at the Wayback Machine, icc-cpi.int, June 2016.
- ^ Calamur, Krishnadev (2016-08-22). "Repenting for the Cultural Destruction of Timbuktu". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
- ^ The Prosecutor v Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi (Reparations Order) ICC01/12-01/15 (17 August 2017).
- ^ "Al-Mahdi Case (The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi)". International Criminal Court.