International court convicts jihadi in destruction of Timbuktu mausoleums

An international court has found a Muslim radical guilty of committing a war crime by overseeing the destruction of historic mausoleums in the Malian desert city of Timbuktu.

An international court has found a Muslim radical guilty of committing a war crime by overseeing the destruction of historic mausoleums in the Malian desert city of Timbuktu.

Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, a Malian jihadi who pleaded guilty to destruction of historic mausoleums in Timbuktu, listens to his defence team as he enters the court room to hear the verdict of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday. (AP Photo)

Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, a former teacher, had pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for his role in overseeing the destruction of nine mausoleums and a mosque door in June and July of 2012.

Al Mahdi was convicted Tuesday morning by a three-judge panel of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Sentencing is expected later in the day.