Tripoli, 30 August 2013:
Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi, one of the former dictator’s sons, and his spy chief Abdullah Senussi are among 30 . . .[restrict]former regime officials who will stand trial in September, according to Libya’s Attorney General.
Both are facing charges of committing crimes against humanity, and war crimes during the 2011 revolution.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is still demanding that Senussi and Saif be handed over to stand trial at the Hague, with Libya appealing against each new ICC decision, most recently last month. This latest development is further evidence of Libya’s determination not to let senior figures from the old regime be tried in international courts.
Saif’s lawyer, John Jones QC, insists that any trial in Libya will be a “show trial” leading to a death sentence for 41-year old Saif.
“Executing Saif Gaddafi would be a complete violation of the ICC orders,” said Jones, adding that other countries had “a moral and legal obligation” to intervene.
In a separate case, Saif is being tried for trying to escape and insulting the Libyan flag. In July the case was adjourned until 19 September.
Saif is being held in a prison facility in Zintan and Senussi is in Tripoli’s Hathba jail. [/restrict]
