Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) voted that that the son of the late Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam, who was arrested on Saturday, will be brought to trial in Libya but not transferred to the International Criminal Court, Sky News reported on Sunday.
However, the channel quoted Libyan Information Minister Mahmoud Shammama, who said that the decision of the NTC will be discussed with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, during his visit to Libya on Monday.
Libya's interim Prime Minister Abdel Rahim al-Kib said earlier on Sunday that Saif al-Islam will be given a “fair trial”. The statement came after Luis Moreno Ocampo expressed concerns on Saturday over the trial of Saif al-Islam.
Ocampo said that while national governments had the right to try their own citizens for war crimes, he was concerned that Saif al-Islam would get a fair trial and would be tried for the same charges he faced at the ICC.
Western media reported on Saturday, quoting Libya's interim justice minister, Mohammed al-Alagy as saying, that Saif al-Islam who is accused of crimes against humanity, will likely be tried in Libya and could be sentenced to death.
Gaddafi's regime was overthrown in October by opposition forces with NATO's assistance after a seven-month civil war. Gaddafi, who had ruled the country for almost 42 years, was captured and killed by rebels near his home town of Sirte in late October.
