Muslim radical jailed timbuktu shrines destruction

You're likely referring to the case of Ahmed al-Mahdi ag Alawemi, a Muslim radical who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the destruction of several shrines in Timbuktu, Mali in 2012.

Ahmed al-Mahdi ag Alawemi was a member of the Ansar Dine Islamist group, which was led by Iyad Ag Ghaly. In 2012, Ansar Dine took control of Timbuktu and began destroying several ancient shrines and tombs that were considered sacred by the local population. The group claimed that these shrines were "un-Islamic" and that they were destroying them to purify the city of what they saw as idolatry.

The destruction of the shrines sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from around the world. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the city of Timbuktu a World Heritage site in 1988, and the destruction of the shrines was seen as a violation of international cultural heritage law.

Ahmed al-Mahdi ag Alawemi was arrested in 2013 and charged with war crimes and destruction of cultural heritage. In 2019, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Malian court.

It's worth noting that the destruction of the shrines in Timbuktu was not an isolated incident. Ansar Dine and other Islamist groups have been responsible for the destruction of numerous cultural and religious sites throughout Mali and the Sahel region. The destruction of these sites has been widely condemned by governments and human rights organizations around the world.