Malian jihadist jailed for 9 years for Timbuktu attacks
Tuesday September 27 2016
A man checks on January 29, 2013 the ruins of the mausoleum of Alfa Moya, a Muslim saint, which was destroyed by Islamists in July, in a cemetery of Timbuktu. AFP PHOTO | ERIC FEFERBERG
The International Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced a Malian jihadist to nine years jail for razing Timbuktu's fabled shrines, in a landmark judgement experts hope will help safeguard the world's ancient monuments.
Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi was convicted of a crime of "significant gravity", ICC judge Raul Pangalangan told the tribunal, adding the chamber "unanimously sentences you to nine years of imprisonment".
Islamist rebel Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi looks on during an appearance at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on August 22, 2016, at the start of his trial on charges of involvement in the destruction of historic mausoleums in the Malian desert city of Timbuktu. AFP PHOTO