18.06.12 - ICC/GADDAFI – UN SECURITY COUNCIL URGES LIBYA TO RELEASE ICC STAFF MEMBERS

The Hague, June 18 2012 (FH) - The United Nations Security Council has urged Libyan authorities to work towards the immediate release of four detained staff members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), who have been detained in Libya since June 7.

Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor and her colleagues were arrested on accusations of smuggling documents to Muammar Gaddafi's detained son, Saif al-Islam, who has been indicted by the court for crimes against humanity.

UN “urge Libyan authorities at all levels and all concerned to work towards immediate release of all the ICC staff members”, read a statement released on June 15.

“It is the legal obligation of Libya… to cooperate fully with and provide any necessary assistance to the ICC pursuant to that resolution”, it added.

Sunday, Libyan deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Abdel Aziz claimed that Libyan authorities were “fully committed to solving this problem speedily but what we need is cooperation of the International criminal court”. He added that they would be “more than happy to even have a joint investigation”.

Libyan authorities have so far refused to hand Saif al-Islam over to the court, arguing that he should be judged on the Libyan soil. ICC judges still have to rule on the matter.

SM/ER/GF

 

Republish
Justice Info is now on WhatsApp
Discover our first WhatsApp Channel and receive real-time notification of every publication posted on our website, with a summary and extracts or quotes. Every evening, you'll have access to our review of the day's AFP dispatches. At the end of each week, a summary of our publications.