International criminal court unveils warrant for Qaddafi’s security chief

He is accused of committing crimes against humanity

THE HAGUE // International judges have unsealed an arrest warrant for Libya’s former security chief, accusing him of carrying out war crimes in 2011 to quash opposition to the late dictator Muammar Qaddafi.

The warrant, first issued in 2013 by the International Criminal Court, charges Al Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled with three counts of war crimes and four crimes against humanity.

The unsealing of the warrant, which took place on Monday, came amid the court’s ongoing legal tug-of-war with Libyan authorities to transfer Qaddafi’s jailed son, Seif Al Islam, to the tribunal in The Hague to face trial for crimes against humanity.

Between February and August 2011, Libya’s military, intelligence and security agencies carried out attacks on civilians “in furtherance of a policy designed by the Libyan state to quash the political opposition to the Qaddafi regime by any means”, says the warrant against Mr Khaled.

Those means included “lethal force and by arresting, detaining, torturing and abusing perceived political opponents”.

Prisoners across Libya “were subjected to various forms of mistreatment, including severe beatings, electrocution, acts of sexual violence and rape, solitary confinement” and mock executions.

As the head of Libya’s internal security agency from February to August 2011, Mr Khaled “had the authority to implement Qaddafi’s orders”, the warrant says.

The prosecutor’s office asked for the warrant to be made public as it “may facilitate Khaled’s arrest and surrender as all states will then be aware of its existence”, the court said.

Born in the Janzour area of Libya, west of Tripoli, in 1942, Mr Khaled was known by several aliases, and had “at least 10 different passports, some issued under other identities”, the warrant says.

Libyan media said he was arrested in Cairo in April 2012 but was released because there was no warrant against him. Since then he is believed to have gone into hiding.

The warrant appeals to the authorities in Egypt to cooperate with the court’s request for Mr Khaled’s arrest and surrender.

Although Libya is not a party to the Rome Statute that underpins the court, the United Nations Security Council unanimously authorised the tribunal to investigate abuses in the country in February 2011.

Libya was then still under the rule of Qaddafi, who was killed months later by rebels in a Nato-backed uprising.

An arrest warrant for crimes against humanity issued in June 2011 is still outstanding for Seif Al Islam, who is said to be behind bars in Zintan, a town south-west of Tripoli that opposes the UN-backed government based in the capital.