LIBYA: International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo arrives in Tripoli as as he seeks to further investigate crimes in the country's third city of Misrata

Record ID: 346543

  • Title: LIBYA: International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo arrives in Tripoli as as he seeks to further investigate crimes in the country's third city of Misrata
  • Date: 19th April 2012
  • Summary: TRIPOLI, LIBYA (APRIL 18, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF AIRPORT BUILDING VARIOUS OF CARS OUTSIDE AIRPORT BUILDING JOURNALISTS ICC CHIEF PROSECUTOR LUIS MORENO-OCAMPO SPEAKING WITH OFFICIALS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ICC CHIEF PROSECUTOR LUIS MORENO-OCAMPO, SAYING: "The situation is the judges of the International Criminal Court order to surrender Saif. The Libyan government say that they will challenge the admissibility of the case before the end of April and then the judges will decide, not the prosecutor. So that is the situation, I'm not making deals, I don't make deals, I'm a prosecutor. I'm here because I'm still investigating crimes. I'm going to Misrata because basically we are doing some investigation and I would like to go there to see places. As we are still prosecuting Saif and Senussi so we are still gathering evidence on them and also because we have a mandate to investigate all the crimes committed here, we'd like to see what Libya is investigating other crimes because I shall report in May to the Security Council on the new investigations, that's why I'm here." CONVOY LEAVING AIRPORT
  • Embargoed: 4th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya, Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1JK6V9PWDJXI4D7WUH25A7EKQ
  • Story Text: War crimes prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday (April 18) to continue investigating charges against Muammar Gaddafi's detained son, Saif al-Islam, sought for trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
    The Hague-based court issued an arrest warrant for Saif al-Islam last year, after prosecutors accused him and others of involvement in the killing of protesters during the revolt that eventually toppled his father.
    However Libya has insisted he will be tried in his home country, despite having still been unable to prize him out of the hands of the militia fighters who caught him in the southern desert in November. Saif al-Islam remains in a secret location in the western town of Zintan.
    Upon arrival at Tripoli airport, Moreno-Ocampo was asked whether a potential deal was being brokered with the Libyan government about trying Saif al-Islam in Libya under the supervision of the ICC.
    "The situation is the judges of the International Criminal Court order (Libya) to surrender Saif (al-Islam Gaddafi). Libya government say they will challenge the admissibility of the case before the end of April and then the judges will decide, not the prosecutor. So that is the situation, I'm not making deals, I don't make deals, I'm a prosecutor," he said.
    "I'm here because I'm still investigating crimes. I'm going to Misrata because basically we are doing some investigation and I would like to go there to see places. As we are still prosecuting Saif and (former intelligence chief Abdullah) Senussi so we are still gathering evidence on them and also because we have a mandate to investigate all the crimes committed here, we'd like to see what Libya is investigating other crimes because I shall report in May to the Security Council on the new investigations, that's why I'm here," he added.
    The ICC this month rejected Libya's request to postpone handing over Saif al-Islam to face war crimes charges. The court ordered Tripoli to "comply with its obligations to enforce the warrant of arrest" and surrender him without delay. Libya has appealed the decision.
    A U.N. Security Council Resolution obliges Libya to cooperate with the court, the ICC says, and Tripoli's failure to hand him over could result in it being reported to the Council.
    Libya's government wants to transfer him to the capital and put him on trial there. He faces the death penalty if found guilty by a Libyan court but a prison term if convicted by the ICC.
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