ICC rules Gaddafi-era intelligence chief can be tried in Libya

PanARMENIAN.Net - The International Criminal Court has ruled that Libya's Gaddafi-era intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Senussi, can be tried in Libya, according to BBC News.

The decision means that the ICC will no longer demand that Senussi be sent to The Hague to stand trial.

The former military intelligence boss was indicted by the ICC in 2011 for war crimes allegedly committed during the uprising against Gaddafi's rule. Senussi was extradited to Libya from Mauritania last year.

The ICC does not carry out proceedings against a suspect if they are receiving a fair trial in a domestic court.

The court said in a statement that the decision had "no bearing on the case against Saif al-Islam Gaddafi".

“On May 31, 2013, Pre-Trial Chamber I rejected the challenge to the admissibility of the case against Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi. The Judges acknowledged Libya’s efforts to restore the rule of law. However, the Chamber found that the evidence submitted was not sufficient to consider that the domestic and the IC+C investigations cover the same case and concluded that Libya was unable genuinely to carry out the proceedings against Mr Gaddafi. Libya appealed this decision. The Appeals Chamber will issue its final determination on this appeal in due course,” it said.

The late leader's son was also indicted by the ICC for war crimes, and is a co-defendant, along with 36 others, of Senussi in the domestic case.

Saif Gaddafi is being held by a militia in the western town of Zintan. Last month the militiamen refused to deliver him to a court in Tripoli to appear at a pre-trial hearing alongside Senussi and the other defendants in that case.