During the confirmation of charges hearing of 1st March 2016, Mr Al Mahdi had expressed his intention to plead guilty of war crimes of attacking historic and religious buildings of Timbuktu.
The trial of ICC Case The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi (ICC-01/12-01/15) took place on 22-24 August 2016.
As announced, at the opening of this trial Al Mahdi admitted his guilt. Subsequently, the Prosecution presented evidence and called three witnesses. The Legal representative and the Defence presented their remarks before the Trial Chamber on 24 August.
The ICC Trial Chamber VIII was composed of Judge Raul Cano Pangalagan as Presiding Judge, Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua and Judge Bertram Schmitt.
On 27 September 2016, this Trial Chamber unanimously found Mr Al Mahdi guilty beyond reasonable doubt as a co-perpetrator of the war crime consisting of internationally directing attacks against religious and historic buildings of Timbuktu, in Mali, including nine mausoleums and one mosque, in June and July 2012. Mr Al Mahdi was sentenced to nine year´s imprisonment and the time already spent by the suspect in detention will be deducted from the sentence.
Restoration of mosques and mausoleums under the Unesco Heritage Reconstruction Project supported by EU and other donors.