ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Qaddafi, Son

Wanted

International arrest warrants were issued on Monday by the International Criminal Court in the name of Muammar al Qaddafi, leader of Libya, his son Saif al Islam Qaddafi, deemed by the court as the “de facto” prime minister, and Abdullah al Senussi, the head of Libyan intelligence.

The three were charged, under international legislation, with crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The warrant comes on the 101st day of NATO attack on Libyan command and control sites belonging to Qaddafi.

The limited attack of the international community on the regime in Libya has not been able so far to remove him from power, but put an end to the mass slaughter against the population and allowed the rebel movement to move on, though not too much.

Libyan Leader

The three pre-trial judges ruled on a request submitted in mid-May by the chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, whose office called on Monday, in response to the court’s decision, on everyone to deliver Qaddafi and his son to justice.

Their arrest is considered by the chief prosecutor’s office as a means to protect civilians.

ICC has no enforcement agencies, thus the court in the Hague asked the authorities in Libya to carry out the sentence against the indicted leaders.

The arrest warrant was made under the regulations of the Rome Statute, the treaty that is the base for the International Criminal Court, of which Libya is no signatory.

However, 116 countries around the world have signed the treaty and the three Libyan leaders could be arrested if they decided to go to any of these countries.

Furthermore, even allies of Qaddafi, like Uganda and Venezuela, would have a hard time granting him asylum with this arrest warrant over his head.