Two ‘Firsts’ at the International Criminal Court: The Al Mahdi Case and Its Implications
Two ‘Firsts’ at the International Criminal Court: The Al Mahdi Case and Its Implications

Summary/Abstract: The protection of cultural property during armed conflict represents a matter of utmost importance in the present geopolitical and security context, as various groups and actors are spreading terror and destruction around the world including through the deliberate targeting and destruction of symbolic sites dedicated to culture, religion and history. This article analyses two important consequences marked by the recently concluded Al Mahdi case before the International Criminal Court related to the Situation in Mali. For the first time in the history of international criminal law, an individual was exclusively charged with and convicted for the war crime of directing attacks against protected cultural property and, for the first time in the history of the Court, a suspect pleaded guilty. The article discusses the case, the relevance of the aspects involved and the effects these might have on the development of international criminal law.

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