Islamist sent for trial over destruction of Timbuktu Mausoleums

The United Nations body entrusted with safeguarding the world’s cultural heritage today welcomed the transfer to the worldwide Criminal Court (ICC) of an alleged extremist for trial on charges of destroying religious and historical monuments in Timbuktu, Mali.

The suspect was transferred from neighbouring Niger to the ICC, located in The Hague, under the accusation of the war crime of direct attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, and historic monuments.

The court said early on Saturday that the man was handed over by Niger overnight and was now in its seaside detention center in The Hague, seat of the tribunal.

Al Faqi headed the Ansar Dine, a Tuareg group linked to the al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which took control of parts of northern Mali in 2012. He is charged with the destruction of 10 historic buildings including mausoleums and a mosque in the city that sits on the southern edge of the Sahara desert, with no date set for his arraignment. The extremists condemned the buildings as totems of idolatry.

The entire city of Timbuktu is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

“Destroying a mausoleum is like murdering someone, their history and their past”, he said.

The militants were driven out after almost a year by a French military intervention.

Speaking to Reuters, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda characterized Al Faqi as a zealous member of Ansar Dine who “played a predominant and active role in the functioning of the local structure put in place during the group’s occupation of Timbuktu”.

The mausoleums were shrines to Timbuktu’s founding fathers, who had been venerated as saints by most of the city’s inhabitants.

The court has evidence that “establish reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Al Faqi is criminally responsible for having committed, individually and jointly with others, facilitated or otherwise contributed to the commission of war crimes”.

Prosecutors opened an investigation in 2013 with Al Faq, born about 100km west of Timbuktu, became the first suspect arrested, according to The Globe and Mail. The ICC is a court of last resort that steps in when countries are unable or unwilling to prosecute crimes on their territory.