Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, Dictator's Son Captured and Charged for Crimes Against Humanity
The leaders of Libya said Sunday that they will not hand-over Muammar Gadhafi’s son, Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, to the International Criminal Court. Saif al-Islam is being charged for crimes against humanity by the court.
Instead, Saif al-Islam, will be tried at home. In addition to that the government announced that they’ve captured the former regime’s intelligence minister, Abdullah al-Senoussi, who is also wanted by the court.
In regards to Saif al-Islam, Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam told AP, “It is only fair for the Libyan people that he is tried here. ... Seif al-Islam committed crimes against the Libyan people.”
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“The ICC is just a secondary court, and the people of Libya will not allow Seif al-Islam to be tried outside,” Shammam continued.
The pressure is now on Saif al-Islam’s government to prosecute him. ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah said Sunday, according to MSNBC, “The issue is that there is already a case before the (ICC) court."
"Now Libya has a legal obligation under international law to present a challenge to say: 'We have this suspect and he will be dealt with under our national laws.'"
“They will need to show that they have a serious, genuine legal system capable of functioning fairly in this case,” he continued.
Saif al-Islam, was once thought of as the face of change during the last decade and becoming a fugitive of his father’s regime. He was captured by fighters from the small western mountain town of Zintan. Saif was in the desert towards the south of the country.
Seif al-Islam's was in a two-car convoy that tried to escape the fighters that swarmed them. The car that he was in got stuck in the sand when trying to flee.
Siaf tried to cover his face with sand and gave the wrong name of “Abdel-Salam,” however, despite his efforts the fighters soon identified him and arrested him.
