International and State Response to Terrorists’ Attacks and Plunder of Cultural Property in War Zones

Abstract

The prosecution of Al Mahdi for an offense solely against cultural property is a major step in strengthening international jurisprudence on the protection of cultural property during armed conflict. The ICC’s successful prosecution and conviction of the defendant shows the importance and gravity of such attacks. The momentum to protect cultural property during armed conflict has also led to significant measures that aim to change the behavior of antiquities dealers. The creation of red lists, adoption of incentives to break trafficking rings, establishment of safe havens, and linking the trade of looted antiquities to terrorism offenses have the potential to impede the rampant theft and destruction of cultural property in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere. This chapter reviews some of these responses and advances in the legal framework.