International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo on June 28 urged personal aides of Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi to implement the ICC arrest warrants issued the previous day. Moreno-Ocampo called on the aides to arrest Qaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, the "de facto Prime Minister," and his brother-in-law Abdullah al-Sanussi, the head of intelligence, for alleged crimes against the people of Libya, saying the aides could be "part of the solution."

Though Libya is not a signatory of the Rome Statute granting the ICC its jurisdiction, Moreno-Ocampo said, "Libya has to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1970, which specifically called on Libya to "cooperate fully with and provide any necessary assistance to the Court and the Prosecutor.'" Libya has rejected the warrants, claiming the ICC is a vehicle for European foreign policy. Libyan citizens in Misrata celebrated the ICC's announcement that it had issued the arrest warrants, The Guardian reports.

Last week, Moreno-Ocampo presented the arrest warrants' supporting materials to Pre-Trial Chamber. He said his office had gathered "direct evidence" that shows Qaddafi personally ordered attacks on civilian protestors and that his forces used live ammunition on crowds, attacked civilians in their homes, used heavy weapons against people in funeral processions, and placed snipers to shoot those leaving mosques after prayer services.

Moreno-Ocampo announced last month that his office was pursuing arrest warrants against Qaddafi and the two others in his "inner circle." Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) decided to extend a mandate to an investigative panel, instructing it to continue its investigation of human rights abuses in Libya, after it published a 92-page report. The report claims Libyan authorities have committed crimes against humanity such as acts constituting murder, imprisonment and other severe deprivations of physical liberties, torture, forced disappearances and rape "as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population with knowledge of the attack."

From Jurist, June 28. Used with permission.

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