Muslim who attacked heritage sites fined

The International Criminal court ruled yesterday that a Muslim radical found guilty of destroying World Heritage cultural sites in the Malian city of Timbuktu must pay €2.7 million (£2.5m) in reparations.

The court in the Netherlands found that Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi had intentionally directed attacks against nine mausoleums and a mosque door in 2012, and ordered him to pay for damage to the buildings, economic losses and moral harm to victims – primarily the people of Timbuktu, who depend on tourism.

At previous hearings, Al Mahdi pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for his role in leading the destruction, urged Muslims not to commit similar acts and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

All but one of the sites attacked were on the World Heritage list.