Al Mahdi Case at International Criminal Court: landmark decision or a missed opportunity?
Abstract
The case of Al Mahdi in the International Criminal Court is a landmark case, though being a controversial one. On 27th of September 2016 the ICC for the first time issued a judgement concerning the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or historic monuments, provided they are not military objectives. The case of Al Mahdi is a starting point for the historical analysis of the notion of culture in the international law – from the cultural property, protected in the times of armed conflicts, through cultural heritage in its tangible form, to intangible heritage. By understanding culture as dynamic and pivotal for local societies, as well as for international community, cultural heritage is now being perceived as an important part of human dignity and thus human rights.
Keywords:
International Criminal Court, UNESCO, Timbuktu, cultural heritage, human rights, cultural cleansingReferences
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