International prosecutor probes new cases in Libya, ex-PM on trial in Tripoli

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says she is collecting evidence for filing possible new war crimes charges against supporters and opponents of Moammar Gadhafi during last year's Libyan civil war.     

Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she expects to decide soon on "the direction" of a possible new case that could see the first charges stemming from the Libyan civil war since the ICC issued arrest warrants for Gadhafi, his son and heir-apparent Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi in May 2011. They were accused of committing crimes against humanity by targeting civilians in a crackdown against rebels that led to the Libyan leader's ouster and death.     

Libya has challenged the ICC's right to try Seif al-Islam. Bensouda said she doesn't expect the tribunal's judges to take too long to decide whether he should be prosecuted at the court in The Hague, Netherlands, or in his home country.

In this context, public prosecutor's spokesman Taha Baara reported on Sunday thatt he trial of  Lybian Former PM Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmudi, is to open in Tripoli on Monday.


AP/LBCI