The Hague-based court has been examining the violent incidents in Mali over the past three years, however, it is the first time that a case regarding the destruction of treasured Timbuktu monuments has been brought before the war crimes court.

Islamist Tuareg rebels overran Timbuktu - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - in 2012 and desecrated 14 of the city's 16 mausoleums that house the tombs of its greatest thinkers. The monuments - considered blasphemous by jihadists - have since been restored by the United Nations.

Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, a leader of the Islamist morality squad called Al Hesbah, is accused of directing attacks on nine mausoleums and a historic mosque in Timbuktu, which was a major trading and learning center in the 14th century.

"My name is Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, and I am from the Tuareg tribe… I was born about 40 years ago. I am a graduated of the teacher's institute in Timbuktu and I was a civil servant in the education department… beginning in 2011," the accused told the ICC on Wednesday. He declined to make further comments and said he wanted to consult his lawyers.

The ICC issued Al Mahdi's arrest warrants on September 18, and he was sent to the court by Niger over the weekend. It is unclear how and where the Islamist leader was arrested.

ICC judge Cuno Tarfusser said a formal hearing would begin on January 18 to assess the charges against Al Mahdi.

The ICC describes Al Mahdi as "an active personality in the context of the occupation of Timbuktu" and as the alleged leader of the "Hesbah anti-vice squad."

Rights organizations have welcomed Al Mahdi's arrest but urge prosecutors to file more criminal cases against the Tuareg leader, including rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage.

"So we do believe that it is very important for the office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to take into account the credible evidence that has been provided within the national system," said Carrie Comer of the International Federation for Human Rights, referring to a criminal complaint the group filed in Mali against Al Mahdi earlier this year.

shs/kms (AFP, Reuters, AP)