Hand over Saif now, Libya told

ICC rejects request to postpone surrender

THE HAGUE: The International Criminal Court has told Libyan authorities to surrender former dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s son – wanted by the permanent tribunal for crimes against humanity.

Saif al-islam Gaddafi was arrested in November by rebel fighters in Libya’s remote southern desert while trying to flee to neighbouring Niger and has been held largely without access to the outside world since then.

He was indicted in June along with his father and the Gaddafi regime’s intelligence chief Abdullah alSenoussi for killing and persecuting civilians in the early days of the uprising that eventually brought down Gaddafi’s four-decade dictatorship.

Libyan authorities said they planned to put Saif on trial, and – despite requests from The Hague – had so far taken no action to hand him over.

In a written ruling published on Wednesday, judges at the court rejected a request by Libya to postpone handing over Saif and urged the country’s rulers to “proceed immediately with the surrender”.

Human Rights Watch urged Libya to act on the order.

“The court has issued its order. It is imperative that Libyan authorities start preparing to surrender Saif al-islam,” said Liz Evenson, senior counsel with the group’s International Justice Programme.

Saif’s father also was indicted by the court but was killed by rebel fighters in October.

Prosecutors were praised for their swift action in indicting Gaddafi, Saif and al-senoussi, but the court’s efforts to mete out justice in Libya have been stymied by Gaddafi’s death, Libya’s refusal to surrender Saif and uncertainty over the fate of al-senoussi, who was arrested in Mauritania last month.

Libya has said it also wants to try al-senoussi, and France wants to put him on trial for the 1989 bombing of a French airliner.

Libyan authorities have told the International Criminal Court they plan to challenge its jurisdiction in the case but judges say until that challenge is filed the authorities in Tripoli remain under obligation to surrender Saif.

Luis Moreno-ocampo, the court’s chief prosecutor, said: “The good thing here is one year ago Saif Gaddafi was threatening people ... now he’s arrested and the court is discussing his destiny.

“The fact that the court is ruling, and Libyans – I’m sure they will accept it or appeal or debate it – but they will engage the court to have the court make the final decision. So that is showing how the world changes in 10 years.” — AP