The son of Libya's deposed leader Moammar Qaddafi appeared in court in Zintan, Libya, on Jan. 17. Saif al-Islam Qaddafi [4] is accused of transferring [5] information related to Libya's national security to an International Criminal Court [6] (ICC) delegation. He is also accused of insulting Libya's new flag and attempting to escape from prison. Saif al-Islam's trial was postponed [7] until May because he was not represented by a lawyer at the hearing. One of Saif al-Islam's co-defendants in the case related to information on Libya's national security is his ICC-appointed lawyer Melinda Taylor [8].
Earlier this month the ICC asked Libyan officials to address reports that they plan to try Saif al-Islam Qaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi, the former intelligence chief for Gaddafi. Libya has refused to hand the two men over to the ICC and announced plans to try them [9] in Libya. In October Libyan government lawyers urged the ICC to allow them to be tried in Libya and promised that the trial would be fair. In August Saif al-Islam stated that he preferred to be tried by the ICC [10] out of fear that Libya would not try him fairly. In June four ICC staff members who traveled to Libya to speak with Saif al-Islam, including Melinda Taylor, were detained by Libyan security forces and were in custody for nearly four weeks before being released.
From Jurist [11], Jan. 17. Used with permission.
